Rat Poison Culprit In Middlesex County Eaglet's Death

NATICK, MA — State officials have documented the second death of a Massachusetts bald eagle due to rat poisoning, MassWildlife officials said Wednesday.

An eaglet was found fighting for its life in Middlesex County in late July. The young raptor later died at Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton, and a necropsy revealed the eaglet had lethal levels of rat poison in its system.

The July death follows the first documented bald eagle rat poisoning death in March. The adult bald eagle was found in distress near the Charles River in eastern Middlesex County.

Both deaths have been blamed on a type of poison called second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR), commonly used by pest control companies and sold online in bulk quantities. The poison works by preventing an animal's blood from clotting, leading to severe hemorrhaging.

RELATED: Rat Poison Threatens Many MA Birds Of Prey, Experts Say

SGARs are a threat not only to bald eagles — a species that has only recently returned in meaningful numbers to Massachusetts and other parts of the U.S. — but other birds of prey like owls and hawks. Biologists believe it's possible raptors are directly consuming rats or other prey that have ingested rat poison. The eaglet that died in July had two different types of rat poison in its system, MassWildlife said.

Cats, dogs and wildlife like coyotes and bobcats can also be poisoned and killed by SGARs.

Dr. Maureen Murray, director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, has studied raptor deaths due to rat poisoning. Murray told Patch in May local residents and businesses should find alternative ways to control rodents, like better waste management and better storage of pet food and animal feed.

"The choices we make as individuals and communities regarding rodent control and trash management practices can help prevent wildlife exposure to SGARs," Murray said this week.