Eagles “not considered at risk”

By Lachlan Ellis

A local nature photographer is worried local animals could be accidentally poisoned by bait being used in Rowsley, but Parks Victoria says there is no cause for concern.

David Whelan specialises in photos of local landscapes and wildlife, the latter of which he feels is at risk of secondary poisoning.

In other words, Mr Whelan is concerned that foxes, the intended target of the baiting program, could be poisoned and then eaten by other animals, including the local wedge-tailed eagle population.

“I’m aware of at least three pairs of wedge-tailed eagles along Reids Road where it goes all the way up to Mt Wallace, there might even be more. One of the concerns is that because we’re going into the winter months, and the eagles’ prey is scarcer, they’re probably more likely to feed on carrion,” he told the Moorabool News.

“Depending on how the baits are set – and I’m not familiar with them and how they’re set – if there is a fox carcass, there’s a reasonably good chance that during the colder months eagles will feed on it. And if they do feed on it, there’s a chance they could get secondary poisoning.”

Mr Whelan’s concerns were put through to Parks Victoria, with a spokesperson stating the poison being used would not put animals at risk of secondary poisoning.

“We do have a baiting program underway targeting foxes in the Brisbane Ranges National Park, as is usual practice. The bait we are using is PAPP (Para-aminopropiophenone) via Canid Pest Ejectors. This was determined to be the most targeted bait for foxes. The Canid Pest Ejectors require upward bite force to deploy which targets canid species. This also prevents the fox from burying/caching the bait outside of the park, a scenario which could lead to unintended targets,” the spokesperson said.

“The poison PAPP is toxic to canid species (foxes and dogs) but there is an antidote that can be administered by a vet. In regards to secondary poisoning, PAPP degrades relatively quickly in the environment and is not considered a risk to animals eating poisoned animals.”

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-06-14/5

in the 14 June 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.