Poisoning of wildlife with anticoagulant rodenticides in New York

From 1971 through 1997, we documented 51 cases (55 individual animals) of p oisoning of non-target wildlife in New York (plus two cases in adjoining st ates) (USA) with anticoagulant rodenticides-all but two of these cases occu rred in the last 8 yrs. Brodifacoum was implicated in 80% of the incidents. Diphacinone was identified in four cases, bromadiolone in three cases (onc e in combination with brodifacoum), and chlorophacinone and coumatetralyl w ere detected once each in the company of brodifacoum. Warfarin accounted fo r the three cases documented prior to 1989, and one case involving a bald e agle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in 1995. Secondary intoxication of raptors, principally great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and red-tailed hawks (But eo jamaicensis), comprised one-half of the cases. Gray squirrels (Sciurus c arolinensis), raccoons (Procyon lotor) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus vi rginianus) were the most frequently poisoned mammals. All of the deer origi nated from a rather unique situation on a barrier island off southern Long Island (New York). Restrictions on the use of brodifacoum appear warranted.