Horses killed at Rangipo.

One of the prized polo-cross/rodeo & pony club horses recently killed at Rangipo, (along with 20 sheep) by 1080 poison baits broadcast in an "accidental overfly." The nearby prison water supply was also poisoned in the same operation, which was carried out by EPRO LTD, contracted by Environment Waikato (Waikato Regional Council) on behalf of AHB (Animal Health Board) and sanctioned by the NZ Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA).

The land treated could easily have been treated for possum control by safer alternative methods, ie. trapping and ferratox in bait stations, as it is NOT REMOTE, NOT INNACCESSIBLE, and NOT RUGGED TERRAIN.
It is obvious from the position of the animal, the damage to its leg, the vomited lungs and the distended veins, that this animal died a horrible and cruel death. Deer have been observed to have tried to rip open their own bellies in their agony, and have inflicted similar and worse damage to their bodies while under the effects of 1080. Dogs are driven insane by the excruciating pain inflicted upon them before succombing to a cruel death. Poisoned possums can travel several kms and may take up to 18 hours to die.

The assertions to the ERMA review by th eapplicants, Department of Conservation and Animal Health Board, supported by regional councils that 1080 is a relatively humane killer defies logic.

Will the agencies and persons responsible for the distribution of 1080 be held to FULL ACCOUNT?

Why is 1080 being dropped onto our famland, into our streams and waterways?

Link to Predator Defense
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From the US:
Predator Poison - DeFazio plans to ban deadly toxins
It's been called "one of the most dangerous [toxins] known to man," and it was banned in 1972 after it killed 13 people.
Compound 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless poison that has no antidote and its use was reintroduced in the U.S. in the early 1980s to kill predators. Since then it has also killed pet dogs and turned up in former dictator Saddam Hussein's chemical laboratories in Iraq.
Congressman Peter DeFazio is seeking cosponsors for a bill, the "Compound 1080 and M-44 Elimination Bill," that would ban its use and possession as well as the use of highly toxic M-44 sodium cyanide devices.

The chemical is produced in only one place, Tull Chemical Co. in Alabama, and it is used legally by only one group in the U.S. — the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services. It is used in something called a "livestock protection collar." This device is placed around the neck of a sheep and has two rubber bladders filled with 1080; when a predator such as a coyote goes to kill the animal, it instead ingests the toxin when it bites down, and it later dies. The bladders can also be burst by barbed wire or other sharp objects. Each collar contains enough poison to kill five people, says DeFazio's letter.

"I have nightmares about this stuff," says Fahy, who says it can take hours or days for an affected animal to die. Compound 1080 causes vomiting, convulsions and collapse. Heart failure is usually the cause of death. It is so potent, according to Fahy, that animals eating tainted carcasses — even months after that poisoned animal has died — can die of secondary poisoning.
After the substance's reintroduction, Predator Defense successfully campaigned to have Compound 1080's use banned in Oregon in 1998. However there has been evidence that the substance has been used illegally to kill federally protected wolves, eagles and other predators as well as domestic pets across the West, says Fahy.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists both sodium cyanide and Compound 1080 as chemical agents in its section on chemical emergencies. Scientists have speculated that Compound 1080, because it is odorless and tasteless, could be mixed in with water supplies in a terrorist attack. "It's been called a great tool for assassination," says Fahy, because "it's difficult to find in the body."
"This isn't just a wildlife issue," says Fahy, "it's a national security issue." ---------------------------

On Monday 13th August 2007 the New Zealand Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) approved the continued use of aerial 1080 poison, ignoring growing public concern regarding the increasing use of 1080 poison & evidence of its harm to both human health & to the environment.

It is a known fact that 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) kills everything that consumes it, & goes on killing. Many animals, insects and birds die after every aerial drop; kea, morepork, even our kiwi are dying through secondary poisoning.

See what's really happening in NZ's bush & beyond as hundreds of thousands of hectares of bush and wilderness areas are bombarded with this insidious poison.

Take a look at our photo page and make your own decision. Is this the New Zealand you want to live in or visit?



The 1080 National Network consists of a growing number of New Zealand citizens concerned about the continued bombardment of aerial 1080 poison over vast tracks of our "clean, green" country with complete disregard to the harmful effects of this lethal poison on both our environment and human health.

Our members biggest concerns are:

The unknown long-term effects of 1080 on our environment, the indiscriminate killing of non-target species, birds, deer, dogs, etc.

The continual and irresponsible application of 1080 in and around our water supplies, and its effect on future NZ exports, tourism and the destruction of our clean, green image. Also, the ridiculous fact that this deadly poison dropped so irresponsibly from the sky has NO antidote.

The following is a warning notice supplied by 1080 Action, Upper Hutt:

DANGER! 1080 POISON has recently been aerially applied in the Hutt River Catchments by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

TO KEEP YOUR PET SAFE: DO NOT take pets in or near the operational area - death by 1080 poison is horrific! KEEP DOGS AWAY from the Hutt River and surrounding areas particularly after heavy rain.

DO NOT LET YOUR DOG SCAVENGE. if you see your dog/cat consume any part of a carcass or bait, induce vomiting immediately and take to the nearest veterinary clinic. Speed is essential in order to save your pet.

The symptoms of 1080 poisoning are: anxiety, excitation/depression, salivation, nausea & vomiting, convulsions, respiratory problems, central nervous system disturbances, organ congestion, incontinence, cardiac irregularities, cardiac arrest, intense cerebral damage, coma, death. Dogs may convulse and hemorrhage blood from ears, nose & mouth, respiratory muscles fail & they suffocate. Animals may take from 20 minutes to several hours to die.