Animals labelled as ‘pests’

Animals labelled as ‘pests’

Animals who have been introduced to New Zealand are often described as pests and endure some of the worst treatment of all animals at the hands of humans. But just like other animals, these creatures think and feel and are recognised as sentient in our law.  Rabbits, stoats, cats, deer, pigs and goats were all deliberately introduced to New Zealand, and rats and mice were incidental arrivals with new groups of humans.

Introduced species represent a huge number of individual animals, so the way we treat them matters.  

Many of these introduced species, such as cats, rats, possums and rabbits, can have rewarding relationships with humans. Others are often persecuted for simply existing in the wild. Sadly, many introduced species are commonly demonised in print and broadcast media, instead of being presented as the sentient beings they are. This demonisation fuels the public’s belief that these creatures don’t matter and makes it easier for people to commit cruel acts against them.

Where there is a conflict between animal species, often between native and introduced species, there is a range of humane options available to manage these conflicts.

Use of poisons

The use of poisons to kill introduced species is sadly commonplace in New Zealand. Most of these compounds cause prolonged deaths, the animals suffering for hours or sometimes days before dying. The poison 1080 is one of those most widely used and often causes animals to have muscle spasms and seizures for up to a day or more before death. Brodifacoum is a poison that is commonly used to kill rats. This poison makes the animal slowly bleed to death internally, which can be painful and distressing. Introduced birds like pigeons are often poisoned with alphachloralose, a poison which causes seizures and paralysis – poisoned birds often die from exposure or predation.

All poisons are indiscriminate, meaning any animal that ingests the poison may be affected.

Accidental poisoning of ‘non-target’ animals, including native species, can occur, and the poisoning of pet dogs and cats can also happen. There are also concerns about environmental contamination with poisons such as 1080.

A culture of violence

Introduced species are often demonised, and killing of these animals by members of the public is commonly presented as a positive act.

School possum hunts are annual events in some regions and reinforce this idea, as well as desensitising children to the violence involved. Sadly, terrible animal welfare standards have been documented at some of these events, for example where children have been left in charge of killing baby possums by drowning.

The link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans is well documented and is an area of increasing research and public awareness. The indoctrination of children into a culture of violence around introduced species in New Zealand has been raised as concerning by psychologists working on these issues.