Last month, a press release from Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK) revealed that more White-tailed Eagles had been poisoned in Dorset, with high concentrations of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) being found in their corpses. These deaths are in addition to the high profile poisoning of an eagle in 2022 and Dorset Police’s appalling botched investigation.
WPRUK made the point that the details of these, and other poisonings, were being with withheld by Government agencies, and that the Government- approved Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme is a ‘total failure’.
I’m delighted to see that Private Eye has picked up on this story in its latest edition (thanks to the blog reader who alerted me).
Raptor Persecution UK 
HSE has been kicking this can down the road for ages, instead of getting a proper grip on the situation. Allowing the use of Brodifacoum outdoors, it having previously been restricted to indoor use only, has probably contributed significantly to the worsening of the problem. The withholding of key information relating to deaths begs the question as to what they are hiding – it is hardly likely to be good news.
Most raptors, but especially Red Kites have a significant concentration of rodenticdes and, in my experience have died from being poisoned by second generation rodenticides. Whilst serving as a wildlife police officer I recall nearly, if not all dead raptors had a large concentration of these poisons in their system. It is time they were withdrawn. There is guidance that all dead rodents should be collected and disposed of properly but unfortunately rats can’t read and slink off to die or become a meal for a hungry raptor.
PC Gareth Jones formally of North Yorkshire Police
I think there are cases all around the UK where the toxic dead rats are being left out in full knowledge for other “vermin’ species to consume “accidentally”. I would also bet that the corpses of rats will have be deliberately baited / doctored and put out in strategic locations for this same purpose. I mean, if you are determined to get rid of your problem”vermin” – then why wouldn’t you? This method with this stuff has its own get out of jail / not even interest the authorities card built-in!
Do you think that is happening? Cheers
As the former Project Officer for the release of Red Kites in Yorkshire, I can confirm Gareth’s concerns over the effects of SGARs on these birds. Where primary poisoning was suspected, the testing which was undertaken frequently revealed the presence of one or more SGARs. Sometimes death was actually attributed to the effects of the SGARs whilst in other cases the death was considered to be due to the effects of illegally placed poisoned baits – as in the cases involving the infamous Nidderdale Cocktail .One poor Nidderdale bird tested positive for a combination of eight different poisons involving five illegally used substances and three SGARs! An indication of the apparently widespread and ready accessibility of poisons to wildlife came with the discovery that two small kite chicks still in their North Yorkshire nest had been poisoned by a combination of Carbamate and the rodenticides Difenacoum and Bromadiolone, no doubt fed to them by their parents whose fate was unkown.
It is interesting to note that the introduction of Red Kites not only confirmed the long-standing belief that there was widespread illegal persecution of birds of prey in North Yorkshire, but has also been an indicator for the suspected misuse and abuse of a variety of rodenticide substances.
Wild Justice asked us to respond to the HSE ‘public consultation’ on Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides in September 2025.
It was a poorly designed consultation, as I remember (being Microsoft-proprietary-oriented) but also technically complicated:-(
https://wildjustice.org.uk/please-respond-to-this-consultation-on-rodenticides/
and
https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/crd-biocides/gb-bpr-anticoagulant-rodenticides/
The best I can find so far is that “A formal, final decision or published policy outcome from the HSE regarding product renewals has not yet been officially finalized or promulgated”
The products under renewal assessment were Difethialone, Difenacoum, Bromadiolone, Brodifacoum, Flocoumafen and Coumatetralyl.
Maybe these WPRUK findings will influence the HSE?
I also wonder if Private Eye would now allow Wild Justice to (re)place an advert about game shooting?
The wild justice advert? I hope so but I doubt it, they’re not quite as fearless and independent as they like to present themselves. Be good to see it though.