Free Conservation Lecture
“Rat Poisons and their Impacts on Wildlife: what we know, don’t know, and alternatives” by Dr. Mourad Gabriel, Ph.D, Integral Ecology Research Center, Ecologist & Director
Pesticides are used extensively within urban and agricultural settings with the goal of reducing damage to human and domestic animal food supplies or the spread of disease. However, non-target species including sensitive wildlife have unfortunately been exposed or poisoned through legal and illegal uses of these toxicants. One type of pesticide, rodenticide, has contributed to world-wide exposure and poisonings of numerous non-target wildlife species. Locally, in Humboldt County, the misuse of rodenticides has been associated with trespass marijuana cultivation on forested public and tribal community lands. These habitats are home to several species of conservation concern, and the use of toxicants have both individual and population level effects on many of these wildlife species. In addition, due to the inherent purpose of these compounds, the affected prey populations within these sites are thus influencing the fitness of species dependent on them.
This lecture will focus on the current data that has been collected by Dr. Gabriel on wildlife exposures and deaths attributed to these toxicants in Humboldt County. It will also discuss the difficulties of collecting the effects of these toxicants, as well as alternatives that people could incorporate at home and within legal use settings that are not as toxic.
For more on conservation events happening at Sequoia Park Zoo, visit our Conservation Events page.