Wildlife Research and Conservation

Let nature do her job

The stone marten is a fantastic, natural rodent remover.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture in the Czech Republic has approved an increase of rodenticides use in farms and fields across the country. These types of poison are widely used to control rodent populations but there are many reasons to try and find better alternatives.

- No more poison! In addition to fertilisers and herbicides, do we really want to be adding more potentially harmful chemicals to our food and water?

- We’re killing the wrong animals! It’s very hard to target a single, problematic species without affecting the ecosystem it lives in. Last year, just after the use of pesticides was approved, almost 80 hares, two white storks and several pheasants were found dead and showing traces of the poisons which were only meant for voles! This is not limited to wildlife, however, as our own pets such as cats and dogs are also in danger of ingesting these poisons or poisoned animals!

- Your pets are in danger too! Accidental killing by rodenticide ingestion is not limited to wildlife as our own pets such as cats and dogs can also eat the poisons from the ground or eat poisoned animals!

- Let’s protect our most vulnerable species! The highest risk of using rodenticides is to our already endangered species, such as the critically endangered suslik which is also a rodent or the little owl which has only 100-130 pairs left in the Czech Republic. Little owls prey on ground dwelling invertebrates and small mammals so are at risk of both directly and indirectly ingesting these poisons.

We know rodents can pose a real problem for farming and agricultural management, but surely there’s a more nature friendly solution.

Together, let’s help farmers AND nature find better alternatives!

What you can do

Contact your local or national representatives

You can raise you voice and send an email directly to any member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic to raise your concerns about rodenticide use.

We don’t need to wait for elections to ask our representatives to act. If a large enough portion of the public opinion shows a need, politicians will add it to their agendas.

Keep an eye out for problems

Have you seen poison in the field or have you found an animal suspected of being poisoned?

If you find poison in a field or dead animals with no obvious wound or injury, please get in contact with the Czech Environmental Inspectorate (CIZP) and copy in both ALKA Wildlife and the Czech Ornithological Society (ČSO).