Threatened black-billed gulls found poisoned in Te Anau

Ten tarāpuka / black-billed gulls poisoned in Te Anau

All the birds either died or had to be euthanised after they ingested a toxic chemical.

Threatened black-billed gulls found poisoned in Te Anau

The Department of Conservation is appealing for information on the poisoning of black-billed gulls in Te Anau this January. Photo: DOC Ten threatened black-billed gulls are dead after being poisoned by a rapid-acting bird control agent on the Te Anau lakefront.

Black-billed Gulls Poisoned In Te Anau

The Department of Conservation is investigating the poisoning of 10 black-billed gulls in Te Anau.Five of the native birds were found sick on the foreshore in January and were euthanised. Another five had already died.Department of Conservation Te Anau operations manager John Lucas said testing later revealed the black-billed gulls/tarāpuka had ingested alphachloralose, a toxic chemical used for bird control.The department was appealing to membe…