Brushtail Possum Joey Recovers From Rodenticide Poisoning

“Thus far in all the cases I’ve seen where the joey has ingested some of the toxin it was with it passing through the mum’s milk as opposed to the joey eating the rat bait directly like the mum did,” Raewyn Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail.

A brushtail possum joey is recovering from rodenticide poisoning after its mother likely ingested the toxin, according to a report published by Mountain Views Star Mail on November 14, 2026. The incident shows how second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) affect native wildlife.

Waratah Wildlife Shelter’s Raewyn Jeganathan treated the joey using doses of Vitamin K. Symptoms of the poisoning included blood pooling on the soles of its feet, bruising, paleness, lethargy, and frank blood in its faeces.

“A couple of doses (of Vitamin K) a day for the first few days, and then one dose every day for up to twenty-eight days, so it can take quite a while for the toxin to completely clear the system and for him to be in the clear,” Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail.

The Tech TL;DR:

• A brushtail possum joey survived secondary rodenticide poisoning contracted through its mother’s milk, treated successfully with Vitamin K.
• Experts note that suburban residents frequently deploy commercial rat baits in ceiling spaces without realizing the hazards posed to local possums.
• Data from a 2024 study indicates high rates of rodenticide presence in brushtail and ringtail possum populations.

APVMA Recommends Restricting SGARs to Protect Native Wildlife

In March of this year, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) recommended restrictions on chemical products containing SGARs due to potential lethal poisoning risks for native wildlife such as owls, quolls, goannas, and eagles. Pending further decisions, the restriction on SGARs is scheduled to lift in March next year.

Jeganathan said that she frequently deals with possums brought in from suburban areas where education regarding rodent control may be lacking. She pointed out that residents often purchase readily available products like Rat Sack and place them in ceiling spaces.

“I pondered over it, and I wonder if the issue is that in suburban areas there’s possibly even less education about rodent control… I think a lot of these people probably just get Rat Sack or whatever it’s called at Woolies and just toss it up into their ceiling space without realising that it could be possums they’re hearing,” Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail. She added that brushtail possums are particularly opportunistic eaters.

A 2024 study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment found that 91 per cent of brushtail possums and 40 per cent of ringtail possums observed had rodenticide present in their systems.

“To develop a tolerance, one needs to have an extended level of exposure and those sorts of poisons aren’t the sort of thing that should just be in the environment so consistently that you can have that,” Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail.

Targeting Specific Species Reduces Risks to Surrounding Wildlife

Jeganathan said baiting protocols must target specific species to avoid affecting surrounding wildlife. While safer poisons and bait stations are typically more expensive, she said that they require lower quantities during targeted programs.

“If you do a bit of reading and research, there’s a lot of support behind using certain protocols… think about what species am I targeting, what other species might be affected and if there are other species in your area that might be affected, what can I do to mitigate these risks,” Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail.

For property owners seeking alternatives to chemical baits, traditional snap traps remain an option, particularly in semi-rural areas managing rodent populations near livestock properties.

“I would love it if people didn’t use bait at all, but I think I’m realistic enough, especially living in a semi-rural area where there’s a lot of horsey properties that if you just banned it all together, that you would then end up with a plague of rats and mice,” Jeganathan told Mountain Views Star Mail.

“There needs to be some happy medium somewhere, but I don’t know where that is.”

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