The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources are considering a plan to kill rat and mongoose populations by aerially and manually spreading deadly poison. This poison would indiscriminately affect all wildlife, poison the water supply, and potentially even make its way to humans.
The poison is an anticoagulant, which causes victims to hemorrhage and slowly bleed to death. The poison could be ingested by any animal, including cats, either directly or by eating a poisoned animal. The plan also includes live traps, kill traps, and multi-kill devices, which will harm non-target animals, too.
Comments on the plan are open until Thursday, April 7. Please comment and tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that you oppose this deadly and irresponsible plan.
Below is a template with important points to make. We highly encourage you to comment in your own words and make your voice heard:
I oppose this experimental plan because it is irresponsible and highly dangerous for animals and humans. Indiscriminately spraying poison will not just affect the target animals, but all animals in the area who could come into contact with the poison directly or indirectly by eating poisoned animals. Pets, other wildlife, and even people will be endangered.
The poisons could end up in the ocean and water supply and do further damage to wildlife and plant life, and even work their way up the human food chain. Even worse, the suggested chemicals are anticoagulants, which cause animals to suffer and bleed to death slowly. The mechanical methods being considered are also cruel and highly ineffective. Kill traps and multi-kill devices do not discriminate and endanger all wildlife.
I don’t want to live, visit or vacation in a place where the government is recklessly spreading deadly poisons. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources must go back to the drawing board and come up with humane, sound methods.
All comments must be submitted here. Click the “˜Comment Now!’ button in the upper right corner to create your own message. You can copy and paste the text above but again, we encourage you to write your own words with these points in mind.
Spreading poison could cause lasting damage to Hawaii’s animals and environment, and goes against the Hawaii spirit of love, peace and compassion. Comment on the plan and tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that you don’t want to live, visit or vacation in a place where deadly poison puts humans and animals in danger.