Family Of Owls May Have Died From Rat Poison In Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington residents are concerned after a family of owls died in a park from what they believe to be rat poisoning, reported NBC 10 Boston.

There is now a memorial at Menotomy Park for the Great Horned owl mother and her two owlets.

"They had a nest in a tree right over here, and I think we just felt so lucky that we had this here in our neighborhood and that they chose to build their nest there and live amongst us,” a woman told NBC10 Boston.

According to officials, the owls were never sent for testing and therefore there is no way to know if they died of rat poisoning, but residents are nonetheless concerned.

Zak Mertz from the New England Wildlife Centers told NBC10 the poison being discussed is called second generation anti-coagulant rodenticides, or SGARS. It's an anti-coagulant, which stops the blood from clotting.

Mertz said they see about 100 to 200 cases like this every year in Massachusetts, where predatory animals eat a rodent that's been poisoned and then get sick.

There is currently a bill in Massachusetts that, if passed, would require pesticide companies to disclose information about its potential effects on the environment.