PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: THE FACE OF POISONING

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By Debbie Merrill

August 5, 2019 (Jamul) - This was the breeding male of a Jamul coyote pack. The first image was taken before he ingested most likely a poisoned rodent, based on his symptoms. He had already recovered from mange, also most likely due to rodenticide poisoning. The second is a picture of him the afternoon before he died, and one of his last attempts at standing.

He sired five pups over two seasons that all lived to adulthood.  His mate and this year’s pups barked/howled in tones I had never heard before the night he died-from about 10 pm to 5 am.  They stayed very close to his body in the Sweetwater Wildlife Refuge the entire time.

Poisons also kill hawks, owls, bobcats and other wildlife that eat rats, mice and gophers. Please use alternatives (such as humane traps, barn owl boxes, etc.) to control rodent population. 

Help save coyotes and other natural predator animals, so they can do their part in keeping the rodent/rabbit population in check.

 


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Comments

So sad

Thank you for sharing. How can we get the word out to stop using poison & letting animals live a natural cycle of life in harmony?