SEARCH FOR NEW POISON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29554, 1 July 1961, Page 7

SEARCH FOR NEW POISON

Lesser Toxicity; To Sheep ■ The search for a better poison for rabbits than 1080 is to the latest news letter of the Rabbit Destruction Council. I For actual poisoning of: rabbits 1080 seems to have everything, but a great ad-* van.ee would be made if a 1 poison a« efficient as 1080 against the rabbit but much leas poisonous to sheep and dogs could be found. Poison-1 ing of rabbit« could then be carried out without the necessity to shift sheep from the area. Making these points in an j address at the recent North Island courses of instruction i for rabbit board insnectors i and foremen, Mr I. G. Me-; Intosh, of the Wallaceville Animal Research Station, said that a British scientist had recently reported that seeds of a plant related to] the one containing 1080 included a poison related to 1080 but more complex. This poison is about four times as toxic to the rabbit: than to the sheep. With 1080. what will kill 501 b of rabbit will kill 1001 b of sheep, but the new poison is claimed to be the opposite. What will kill 4001 b of rabbit will only j kill 1001 b of sheep, which, greatly reduces its danger to sheep. “At present I am trying to get a supply of this new poison and three related compounds made synthetically in Britain so they can be tested for toxicity against rabbits, sheep and dogs,” Mr McIntosh said. “It is possible, of course, 1 that the new compounds may not be accepted readily by rabbits but this point must await field trials. Some hopes can thus be held for improvement in poison,” Mr McIntosh said.