New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Brodifacoum residues in target and non-target animals following large-scale
poison operations in New Zealand podocarp-hardwood forests
ELAINE C. MURPHY
Department of Conservation
Private Bag 68-908
Newton
Auckland, New Zealand
B. KAY CLAPPERTON
49 Margaret Ave
Havelock North, New Zealand
PHILIP M. F. BRADFIELD
Department of Conservation
Te Kuiti Field Centre
P.O. Box 38
Te Kuiti, New Zealand
HAZEL J. SPEED
Department of Conservation,
Pureora Forest Park
RD7,
Te Kuiti, New Zealand
Abstract Ship rats in a North Island podocarp-hardwood forest
were poisoned using brodifacoum in cereal baits presented in bait stations.
Livers from 68% of 25 rats captured during and up to three months after
poisoning contained brodifacoum residues. Following a rat- and possum-poisoning
operation in another podocarp forest, 78% of 40 stoats, 71% of 14 weasels, and
56% of 16 ferrets trapped contained brodifacoum residues. Residue levels in
stoats were greater during the three months following the removal of baits than
during the poison operation. Female stoats were more likely to contain
brodifacoum residues than males, perhaps the result of differences in the
dietary habits of the sexes. Brodifacoum was also detected in the livers of the
only morepork and in two out of 10 magpies sampled by shooting, but was absent
from the livers of four robins, five tomtits, six whiteheads, one bellbird, one
fantail, one harrier and four red deer. All five pigs and two cats either shot,
caught or found dead contained the toxin residues. This study emphasises the
potential ecological and human health risks that flow-on from the use of
anticoagulant poisons in New Zealand forests.
Keywords brodifacoum; secondary poisoning; stoats; mustelids;
non-target species; ship rats
Z97044
Received 15 December 1997; accepted 1 May 1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (693K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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