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A white-tailed kite perches atop a branch. |
Altering animal ecosystems comes with consequences. When a decision was made to poison rodents on a cemetery’s lawn, the rodents were not the only animals to suffer: the native raptor population was harmed as well. Despite valiant efforts of The Fund for Animals and a concerned cemetery staff member, a young white-tailed kite died from the effects of secondary poisoning after he ate a poisoned rodent. Unfortunately, the kite’s death could have been prevented. This is his story.
The Ardent Attempt to Save a Life
Early one morning in July, a call came in to The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Southern California from a local cemetery. The caller—a receptionist at the cemetery—was concerned about a “baby hawk” on the ground, who was unable to fly, calling for his mother, and seemingly miserable. The receptionist promised to keep an eye on the youngster until our wildlife rescue staff arrived.
It was immediately clear to the rehabilitators that the young raptor beside a gravestone was not a hawk—but he was indeed suffering. The youngster was actually a juvenile white-tailed kite, also known as a black-shouldered kite. He looked unhealthy and was able to be picked up with minimal effort, an unmistakable sign that a wild animal is in distress. The initial exam at the cemetery showed the little guy to be very weak and thin.
The receptionist told Fund staff that there used to be a lot of hawks in the area, but she had not seen them for a while. So she was elated when the young kite began to frequent the area.
Since raptors will generally stake out territories and remain there for their entire lives, it was odd that they were not present around the grounds. Gazing across the expanse of the meticulously landscaped cemetery, one of the staff members asked the receptionist if the landscapers used poisons to control rodents on the property. She confirmed that poisons were used, but “only for the rodents, not the birds.”
Poisons like these are routinely and indiscriminately used in an effort to eradicate rodents, who can burrow underground and cause uneven lawns. Birds of prey often ingest the poison when they eat the affected mice, rats and gophers.
Suspecting the young raptor might have been poisoned, the rehabilitators rushed him back to The Fund’s medical center, where they attempted to flush the poison from his system. Despite their efforts, the youngster suffered a great deal and passed away that afternoon.
Animal-Friendly Lawns
Growing and maintaining an attractive lawn for one’s home or business without harming wildlife is an achievable goal. Natural ecosystems are effective at keeping wildlife in check, and invasive actions like poisons are not only cruel and inhumane, but also unnecessary. If left to it, the former resident hawk population at the cemetery would have surely kept rodent numbers under control, thereby ensuring the livelihood of the neighboring wildlife and a healthy lawn for the cemetery.
After eliminating the use of harmful poisons, property owners should place garbage and food in rodent-proof containers and select ground covers and creative landscaping as earth-friendly alternatives to regular grass in problem areas. Working in harmony with nature requires patience and practice, but the results are beneficial to your wild animal neighbors—and your lawn.
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Published August 15, 2007
