EPA Re-Authorizes Use of ‘Cyanide Bombs’ That Inhumanely Kill Thousands of Animals Every Year
M-44s use a smelly bait to lure wildlife before releasing deadly sodium cyanide into the mouth of any animal that takes a bite. Wildlife Services kills millions of animals every year to protect livestock.
ARISTOS GEORGIOU: ‘The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will reauthorize the use of sodium cyanide in wildlife-killing devices known as M-44s, or “cyanide bombs.” The devices are designed to kill certain animals for predator control purposes. They use a smelly bait to lure in wildlife before releasing deadly sodium cyanide into the mouth of any animal that takes a bite…
The M-44s are used by Wildlife Services — a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agency that kills millions of animals every year using a variety of methods, ostensibly to protect livestock, according to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). The spring-loaded traps are also authorized for use by state agencies in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and Texas…
But critics say that the traps “inhumanely and indiscriminately” kill thousands of animals every year, posing a danger to endangered species, domestic pets and even humans… As part of the reauthorization, the EPA has added some new restrictions. For example, the traps cannot be placed within 600 feet of a residence—unless the property owner has given written permission—or 300 feet from designated public paths and roads. The latter restriction is an increase from 100 feet.
Furthermore, the new interim decision requires that the traps must be accompanied by two elevated warning signs within 15 feet, which face in the two most likely directions of approach. Currently, only one sign is required at a distance of 25 feet from the device. However, critics say that these kinds of restrictions will do little to mitigate the risks posed by these devices and fails to meaningfully address the problem…
“This appalling decision leaves cyanide traps lurking in the wild to threaten people, pets and imperiled animals,” Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “The EPA imposed a few minor restrictions, but these deadly devices have just wreaked too much havoc to remain in use. To truly protect humans and wildlife from these poisonous contraptions, we need a nationwide ban.”
According to Adkins, M-44s are dangerous to wildlife and harmful to ecosystems. “Numerous endangered species have been killed by the devices, as anything that tugs on [them] will be shot with the poison,” Adkins said in a statement provided to Newsweek. “The animals targeted by cyanide bombs—canids like wolves, coyotes and foxes—play important ecosystem roles as top carnivores, controlling prey populations. For example, coyotes control rodents that spread disease and damage crops”.’ SOURCE…
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