The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources are investigating the intentional poisoning of wildlife and domestic cats at the Ohio County Park east of Hartford, Kentucky.
Anyone with information leading to the person(s) responsible for the deaths of 26 birds, cats, raccoons, and skunks is being asked to contact the Service’s Law Enforcement Office in Louisville, Kentucky (502/582-5989 x29), or the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources anti-poaching hotline at 1-800-25-Alert.
Early last week, a Conservation Officer and a biologist from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources responded to a complaint of an abundance of dead wildlife observed on and/or adjacent to the walking/bicycle trail at the Ohio County Park.
Officers found numerous animal carcasses as well as the source of the poison, dry cat food, which had been coated with the restricted-use pesticide Furadan. Furadan is often unlawfully used in misguided attempts at killing predators, such as coyotes. More than 85 percent of wildlife poisoning investigations conducted in Kentucky are the result of the intentional misuse of Furadan.
“Furadan-coated baits often result in the deaths of family pets, other animals, and protected species of migratory birds, such as hawks and eagles,” said Bob Snow, special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Louisville, Kentucky. “Although these types of poisoning incidents are unfortunately frequent in Kentucky, this incident is particularly alarming as the poison was applied in a public area and adjacent to a children’s playground. We are asking anyone with information to help us identify the person(s) responsible for the poisoning to please contact us.”
Agent Snow can be contacted at 502/582-5989 x29.
The use of Furadan in a manner inconsistent with its labeling which results in the take (killing or injury) of migratory birds, such as blue jays and woodpeckers, is a violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as well as laws controlling the use of pesticides enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.
