DETROIT – An iconic bookstore in Downtown Detroit is sounding the alarm after three squirrels were found dead on its property -- and it’s pointing the finger at rodent poison believed to have been used by nearby businesses.
John King Used & Rare Books, located on Lafayette Boulevard, posted a “Wanted for Murder” message on social media Tuesday, Aug. 18, following the discovery, calling on neighboring businesses and residents to reconsider how they manage pests.
The concern is that if rat poison is accessible to wildlife and killing squirrels, it may also be accessible to pets or other animals that feed around the Lodge Freeway.
Wildlife experts back up the bookstore’s concern, warning that rodenticide -- specifically anticoagulant poisons -- can cause far more harm than intended.
According to the National Park Service, anticoagulant rodenticides work their way up the food chain, posing a danger to predators, pets and wildlife long after the original rodent has consumed the bait.
Rodents that eat rodenticide don’t die immediately. Instead, the poison blocks the vitamin K cycle, which is critical to blood clotting, leading to a slow death that can take days to weeks. As the rodent weakens, it moves more slowly -- making it easy prey for cats, dogs, hawks, owls, coyotes and other predators.
That’s where the danger compounds. When a predator eats a poisoned rodent, it ingests the toxin secondarily. If another predator then eats that animal, a third level of poisoning occurs.
What you can do
John King’s Used Books is urging businesses and residents to use enclosed bait stations and snap traps rather than open poison that wildlife, pets or other animals could access.
If you spot a squirrel or another animal behaving strangely, wildlife experts say do not touch it.
Instead, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or an animal control agency. You can also notify John King’s Used Books directly, as the store is actively tracking reports of affected animals in the area.