The Poison-Free Wildlife Act Passes The California Senate, Awaits Governor’s Signature

Photo by: Mark Girardeau

Today, the California Senate took a significant step forward in wildlife conservation by passing the Poison-Free Wildlife Act. This groundbreaking legislation imposes stricter controls on the use and sale of harmful rat poisons, which have long posed a grave risk to owls, foxes, pumas, and many other species of wildlife.

The new law aims to broaden the current ban on rodenticides to encompass all types of blood-thinning rat poisons, also referred to as anticoagulant rodenticides.

By addressing the widespread dangers of these toxic substances, the new law will create a safer and healthier environment for California’s diverse species to live and thrive in the wild.

In 2020, California legislators enacted the California Ecosystems Protection Act to address the dangers of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), imposing a temporary ban on their use until more comprehensive regulations could be developed. The state expanded these restrictions three years later to include first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides like diphacinone. Despite these efforts, secondary poisoning remains widespread, with many species at-risk.

Rat poison poses a severe threat to wildlife because it often leads to secondary poisoning, wherein non-target animals, such as raptors, foxes, and mountain lions, ingest these toxins by consuming poisoned rodents. These anticoagulant rodenticides cause internal bleeding, organ failure, and severe health issues, rendering the affected animals unable to hunt, eat, or evade predators.

The widespread use of such poisons disrupts entire ecosystems, causing significant harm to wildlife populations and biodiversity. Additionally, rat poison can result in the unintended poisoning of children and companion animals.

A recent California Department of Fish and Wildlife study revealed that 88% of raptors and 95% of mountain lions tested were exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides. The new bill now extends restrictions to include the last two anticoagulant rodenticides, chlorophacinone and warfarin.

The Poison-Free Wildlife Act, A.B. 2552, which is sponsored by the Center For Biological Diversity, Raptors Are The Solution, and Animal Legal Defense Fund, includes exemptions that allow for rodenticide use to protect agriculture, water supplies, and public health.

“At a time when there are a multitude of threats to wildlife, the California Legislature has taken another critical step towards safeguarding these species where harm can be prevented,” said Jennifer Hauge, Animal Legal Defense Fund senior legislative affairs manager. “The time is now to round out the moratorium on the worst of the worst poisons.”

The Poison-Free Wildlife Act was already approved by the California State Assembly in May and now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.