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Eagle Deaths Spark Rat Poison Ban Outcry
27 Apr
Summary
- A bald eagle named Fae died from rat poison in Arlington last month.
- This is the third bald eagle death in Arlington linked to SGARs.
- Over 90 Massachusetts municipalities have banned SGARs.
The death of a bald eagle named Fae in Arlington last month has intensified concerns regarding the use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs). This incident marks the third bald eagle fatality in Arlington within five years attributed to SGAR exposure, confirmed by an autopsy from Tufts Wildlife Clinic.
Local officials, like Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney, expressed deep regret over Fae's death and noted the town's ongoing efforts to ban SGARs through home rule legislation. While previous attempts at local bans did not pass, the town is considering new legislation to prohibit first and third-generation anticoagulant rodenticides and bromethalin.
State Representative Jim Hawkins is championing a statewide restriction on all anticoagulant poisons, with companion bills gaining significant support in both the House and Senate. More than 90 Massachusetts municipalities have already enacted their own bans or home rule petitions to prohibit SGARs.
Wildlife advocates, such as Alyssa Giaquinto of Giaquinto Wildlife Center, emphasize the need for safer pest control alternatives like improved sanitation and snap traps. She highlights that secondary poisoning from SGARs is a growing problem, particularly affecting birds of prey that consume poisoned rodents, and notes an 80% reduction in rat sightings in Marlborough after banning rat poison on city property.
