Revenge of the Rodents

Poison is popular in literature and Russian politics. It is abundant in the stomachs of our majestic mountain lions. Rat poison is not a metaphor. It is a problem with dire and far-reaching consequences.

“There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow,” said Hamlet, who was poisoned, poor fellow.

“There is some mean rat poison in the fall of a barn owl,” is something he might say if he were around today.

Madam Bovary felt the pain that a coyote might feel as he spins in a tight circle before his legs buckle and he lies on his side, bleeding out completely with multiple types of poisons and anticoagulants in his mange infested, now useless, body.

Bob cats and mountain lions, feral, stray and abandoned cats are contaminated; one poisoned rat from being decimated. Raptors, owls and hawks have a 92% chance of exposure to rodent poison in the San Diego area. Reptiles, like the beautiful California King Snake, can consume rodents and snakes that eat rodents. Predators control rodent populations. Rodents should not be controlling the predators.

Our wild friends and pets and children and gardens do not need to be put at risk. There are simple solutions for vermin-proofing our domestic lives.

The drought, habitat reduction, and now the fires have made survival very difficult on the State’s wildlife. Let’s all use a little imagination and compassion.

If an elusive and maybe sick Gray Fox shows up in your backyard after the fires that made you evacuate your house, know that you are lucky to still have your home and to see the seldom seen. The Fox is not so fortunate.