New Zealand have an estimated 30
million possums, up to 25 per hectare in preferred habitats. Possums are known
to be very destructive towards both our native birds and their offspring and
the forest canopies. Possums, along with ferrets and stoats, also carry
infectious and sometimes lethal diseases who of which are responsible for 70%
of new infections in cattle and deer herds. So, these animals are seen as
unwanted pests and are being eradicated. Some methods include trapping and
hunting, but one in particular method, known as 1080, should not be continued.
1080 is a metabolic poison that is extremely toxic to all air-breathing
organisms. It blocks muscle and organ abilities to absorb energy from its food,
resulting in a slow and inhumane death. The effected suffer from 8 -24 hours
for birds, 2-4 days for large mammals and there is no known antidote for this
deadly poison.
Poisoning from 1080 occurs through eating the dosed baits, either a
cereal pellet, a poison-laced carrot or from the flesh of a poisoned animal.
Carcasses remain poisonous until they are completely decomposed, which then makes
1080 particularly lethal to dogs.
At the Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, cruel tests were taken in order to
check if a deceased animal still contained the 1080 poison lethal enough to kill
another animal who eats it. A rabbit was fed a large amount of 1080 bait and
died 1hr 45mins later. It was then skinned, gutted and fed to a large dog. The
results showed that the dog was unharmed however if it consumed the skin or the
gut of the rabbit it would have most definitely died. Another study was done
with a small hogget, following similar actions as the rabbit. The hogget ate a
large dose of 1080 poison, dying 2hrs later. Again the carcass was stripped
clean and the meat was given to 5 dogs, 2 in which died.
So in the bush or on a farm where an animal is about to eat a carcass
that died from 1080, they’re not going to sit there with a knife and fork and
cut out the gut of the poisoned animal in hope that the rest is going to be
safe enough for them to eat. No, they’re going to munch straight into it, possibly
cleaning it all up and killing themselves with the remaining poison.
This young deer was still alive at this moment, gasping for air
Notice the foam coming from its mouth, it suffered hours after consumption of 1080
Proven that bait dropped on the ground can be picked up by native birds who live on the ground
A deer killed by 1080 decaying in the water stream
This is poison just casually sitting in water supply
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