10/26/2026
What a difference two years can make. 🦉💚
In 2024, we met a homeowner when we responded to a call about a barred owl down in her yard. That owl, pictured first, died from secondary poisoning caused by second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, or SGARs.
Rodents eat poisoned bait inside a bait box, then leave with that poison in their bodies. When an owl eats those rodents, it can become poisoned too. These unintended victims pay the price for a poison never meant for them.
At the time, multiple SGAR bait boxes were located on two city properties surrounding this homeowner’s backyard.
That owl’s loss was a driving force behind our work to write and submit an ordinance to Marlborough’s City Council. Unanimously approved in May 2025, it led to the removal of all SGAR bait boxes on city property, including those surrounding this yard.
Fast forward two years. Today, that same homeowner sent us footage of barred owls hunting at night on her Ring camera. She shared that at least two call through the night and appear to be thriving in the very same yard where the poisoned owl was found.
These predators are doing exactly what comes naturally: helping control our rodent population while we sleep.
Those nearby poison bait boxes are now gone. These owls have one less threat in their hunting grounds.
Progress may be slow, but for these barred owls, it means everything.
We love hearing stories of thriving wildlife in our city. Seeing our natural predators at work reminds us why removing these poisons and giving wildlife a safer place to live matters. 💚
