Bird Poisonings in Regina

Almost 200 birds have died from poisoning this summer in Wascana Center, Regina, Saskatchewan. Two poisons are involved, carbofuran and strychnine.

Something strange is happening in a park in Regina, Saskatchewan. Someone is poisoning the birds, either maliciously or accidentally. Wascana Center is a large park in the city of Regina - about 930 ha of mixed use parkland including a waterfowl park of more than 200 ha. Mostly wetlands, the waterfowl park supports tens of thousands of birds - dozens of bird species.

In July of 2006, about 165 dead grackles were found in the Center near the waterfowl park. It was determined that they had died from pesticide poisoning - the chemical was carbofuran, a pesticide that is not used in Wascana Center. Three dogs also died. More recently, about 26 more dead grackles were found in another part of Wascana Center. This time the agent was strychnine, a deadly poison often used to kill rodents.

No one knows where the birds are getting the poison. Did they ingest it outside the park and then fly in before it took effect? Did someone deliberately feed carbofuran and strychnine to the grackles? Was it the same person on both occasions? It seems a strange coincidence that the victims were grackles on both occasions, and that both groups of birds died within the park boundaries - and deaths of three dogs also suggest that someone deliberately placed a dangerous pesticide in the park. While Wascana Center waits for answers, people using the park are warned to be very cautious, especially with children or dogs.

What's your theory? Start a discussion.