Rodenticides are harming mountain lions
Many mountain lions and bobcats in the Santa Monica Mountains have been found with varying degrees of rodenticides in their systems, leading to health issues and numerous deaths.
Biologists have tested mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains over the past few years, finding that the vast majority of them were in various stages of poisoning from rodenticides, which many people use as rodent control.
Mountain lions do not directly ingest rodenticides. Cathy Schoonmaker, an outdoor recreational planner in the Santa Monica Mountains explained how this occurs. “Mountain lions don’t eat the rat poisons. So when homeowners put out the rodenticides, it eventually makes its way to the mountains, causing them to consume the poisonous animals. What happens is prey animals are eating the rat poisons,” Schoonmaker said.
Rodenticides are anticoagulants, meaning when ingested, they thin the blood, causing it not to clot. When the rodenticides start to build up, it causes internal bleeding and hemorrhaging.
Death caused by these pesticides is not a quick process, it occurs slowly over a long time. “[Rodenticides will] affect them long term and lead to death, unfortunately,” Anna Flores, a Santa Monica Mountain intern ranger, said.
As of now, seven mountain lions have passed away from the effects of rodenticides,Including data recorded from mountain biologists,”28 out of 29 mountain lions tested in the study have tested positive for one or more anticoagulant compounds, and seven have died from anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (as of November 2021),” the National Park Service Website wrote.
Public affairs officer Ana Beatriz Cholo mentioned the devastating effects rodenticides have on the local wildlife, saying, “We see the effects that these poisons are having on our local wildlife, and it’s, it’s pretty sad.” Beatriz Cholo said.
A practical and effortless change everyone can make to protect our local wildlife populations is to find alternative forms of rodent control. Vector Ecologist, Laura Kruger, said “the best way for humans to control rat populations is to clean up food sources and restrict harborage.”
Two years ago, California Governor Gavin Newsome signed a bill banning the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.
Biologists of the Santa Monica Mountains have stressed the importance of education. “The only hope we have is education and get people to develop some environmental stewardship and want to protect the wildlife,” Schoomaker said.
