Researchers say there’s new evidence that rat poison is posing a big threat to bobcats, and mountain lions in eastern Ventura County.
A necropsy on a sick bobcat in the Simi Hills which had to be euthanized showed that poison was a major factor in the big cat’s illness. Rat poison gets into the food chain through small rodents which are then eaten by bobcats and mountain lions. The poison has been found in 90% of the bobcats in and around the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area being studied by researchers.
National Park Service biologists say they hope the information will prompt area residents to use alternatives to poison for dealing with rodents.
