From Facebook
He says “1080 poison – it is like being electrocuted for 2 plus days”.
The SAFE NZ ( Save Animals From Exploitation ) website says :
“Cruel effects of 1080
Death from 1080 is cruel and protracted. Animals receiving a lethal dose of 1080 show severe signs of poisoning, with death resulting from heart or respiratory failure. Clinical signs of poisoning include rapid and laboured breathing, tremors and muscle spasms, terminal convulsions and death. It usually takes possums between 6-18 hours to die.
A witness to a possum poisoning commented, ( and you have to ask yourself what kind of scientist could actually deliberately poison possums to see what 1080 poison did, then witness this and not want to put the poor creature out of its misery !! ) :
“From about four hours after poisoning until death all lethally dosed possums exhibited spasms involving the limbs or body. Possums vocalised during spasms, tremors or seizures. Vocalisation was loud and prolonged. (Squeaking, gasping and gagging noises were also frequently heard during retching and terminal breathing.) Seizures included stiffening of limbs with hunching of the shoulders; jerks in limbs, head, abdomen or shoulder; leg paddling; rolling onto the back with a stiffened body; continuous body rolling; trembling; and rigidity of the entire body. Possums were sometimes propelled into the air by these movements…”
1080 is not a humane way to kill any animal. Death is painful, torturous and slow.”
Possums take 6 to 18 hours to die. Pictured is an orphaned possum joey whose mother died just such a death. Of course this baby had to die too. Thousands of these joeys are left to die a lingering death in our forests – cold and hungry and alone. They just can’t all be saved even if they are found
I have seen 1080 referred to as taking 24-48 hours to kill a possum.
Either way it’s a slow, lingering, agonising death. It is double standards with animal cruelty rules strict on domestic stock but “anything goes” with wild animals. Wild animals are no different to domestic stock in terms of feelings and suffering.
Shame on DOC, OSPRI who spread 1080 and regional councils who use brodifacoum which is an even worse and cruel poison than 1080.
Sadly and shamefully, DOC and OSPRI are heartless bureaucrats whose sole mission is to keep jobs and salaries going. It is in itself corrupt since it is misuse of public taxpayer money.
There is no excuse or reason. Animals are an important part of our ecosystem but, people sometimes forget that they are also living creatures. These poor creatures can’t even express their feelings and grief. Cruelty towards animals have become a national matter of concern since successive governments keep funding the “poison policies”. This needs clear, open, debate and be addressed as soon as possible – and should be eliminated for ever.
The rabid, frenzied “pest” culture is to blame. It is ingrained into the Kiwi thinking.
Departments have spawned it and perpetuate it. It flies in the face of scientific studies, food chain science and humane thinking.
Horrified. Those perpetrating this vicious, disgusting agony on innocents, this war on nature itself, need to be brought to trial and convicted of ecocide, psychopathy and utter inhumanity.