Playground poison scare

MARYKE PENMAN

Rat poison has been put down less than 10 metres from the Browns Bay children's playground.

Chris Bradshaw came across a warning sign tied to a tree and was alarmed to learn that brodifacoum is being used on the popular reserve.

Since August last year a number of baiting stations have been set up by an Auckland Council subcontractor along the reserve to combat the escalating rat problem at the beach. The stations will remain in place until February 1.

Mr Bradshaw says it is a potential danger as young children could easily access the poison through the large opening in the boxes.

"I don't believe in putting poison around beaches and where people are walking around and having picnics," Mr Bradshaw says. "Nobody knows about it, I guarantee you if they did they would not let their children play there."

The Department of Conservation says the poison comes in cylinder shaped 2cm pellets dyed blue-green in colour and can be bought at most supermarkets.

They say it poses little risk to humans but is considered a mild eye and skin irritant.

If ingested urgent medical attention is required to administer vitamin K as a treatment.

"It just shouldn't be there. There are kids running around and other animals and birds that it could harm," Mr Bradshaw says.

The poison works as a blood thinner and causes internal bleeding in rodents. If taken in large doses it is reported to have the same effect on humans and can result in nose bleeds and haemorrhaging.

DOC advises people and their pets to steer clear of poisoned carcasses to avoid contamination.

Auckland Council parks adviser Tony Hart says Browns Bay has had an ongoing rat problem since the construction of the boardwalk in 2010. They feed off food scraps left on picnic tables and seek shelter under the boardwalk.

"The brodifacoum bait is wired into tamper resistant bait stations, which in turn are placed into locked wooden boxes," Mr Hart says.

- © Fairfax NZ News