Australia’s national chemical regulator has issued a strong warning about the risks posed by some of the most commonly used rat poisons, declaring that their current use presents “unacceptable risks to non target animals, including native wildlife.”
The statement comes from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which has been reviewing the environmental impacts of anticoagulant rodenticides used across Australia as part of its ongoing regulatory review.
After examining scientific evidence and public submissions, the regulator has now certified that several highly toxic rodenticide products should be treated as restricted chemical products, meaning their sale and use may be subject to tighter controls.
For wildlife carers and conservation groups, this acknowledgement represents an important shift in recognising the hidden environmental cost of common pest control products.
In its official announcement, the APVMA concluded that the current use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (often referred to as SGARs) poses unacceptable risks beyond the animals they are intended to kill.
As the regulator explained:
“The current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non target animals, including native wildlife.”
“The APVMA has certified that it is in the public interest for these products to be declared restricted chemical products.”
This classification allows additional regulatory conditions to be placed on how the products are sold and used.
These chemicals are widely used in rat and mouse baits sold to households, farms and businesses. While they are effective at controlling rodents, their persistence in animal tissues means they can easily move through the food chain.
The APVMA’s review examined multiple rodenticide chemicals used in more than a hundred registered products across Australia. The regulator assessed scientific research, environmental monitoring data and consultation submissions as part of its decision.
Anticoagulant rodenticides work by preventing blood from clotting. Rodents that consume the bait gradually die from internal bleeding over several days.
The problem is that poisoned rodents rarely remain where they die.
Predators and scavengers frequently consume contaminated prey, allowing the toxin to pass up the food chain. This process is known as secondary poisoning, and it has been documented in wildlife around the world.
Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides are particularly concerning because they remain active in animal tissues for long periods. A predator that consumes multiple poisoned rodents may accumulate dangerous concentrations of the toxin.
The APVMA’s review specifically recognised that exposure pathways extend beyond the intended pest species.
“Non target animals may be exposed to SGARs through primary exposure or secondary exposure via contaminated prey.”
For species that rely heavily on rodents as prey, the risk is significant. Many native animals sit high in the food chain and can be exposed to rodenticide poisoning.
Birds of prey such as owls and eagles are especially vulnerable because they regularly hunt rodents. Carnivorous mammals, reptiles and scavengers may also encounter poisoned prey.
The APVMA acknowledged that wildlife exposure was a key factor in its regulatory decision.
“The APVMA considers that the risks to non target species cannot be adequately mitigated under current conditions of use.”
That conclusion reflects a growing body of scientific evidence linking rodenticides to wildlife poisoning.
In Australia, residues of anticoagulant rodenticides have been detected in native predators including quolls and other carnivorous species. Because these poisons accumulate in the body, animals may suffer repeated exposure over time.
In Tasmania, several native species may be particularly vulnerable to secondary poisoning. Predators and scavengers such as Tasmanian devils, quolls, and birds of prey including owls and eagles all interact with rodents in natural food webs.
For wildlife carers, rodenticide exposure can be difficult to identify without laboratory testing. Affected animals may arrive with unexplained weakness, internal bleeding, or sudden collapse. Sometimes the cause only becomes clear after post mortem examination. These cases highlight how pest control products used in one location can affect animals across the broader landscape.
Wildlife rehabilitation groups, conservation organisations and veterinary researchers have increasingly raised concerns about rodenticide exposure in native predators, with monitoring programs detecting residues in a range of carnivorous and scavenging species.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has announced that products containing second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) will face stronger regulatory controls.
These compounds are among the most potent rat poison compounds used in Australia. They are designed to remain active in animal tissues for long periods, which is one reason they pose risks to wildlife through secondary poisoning.
The chemicals identified in the review include:
• Brodifacoum
• Bromadiolone
• Difenacoum
• Difethialone
• Flocoumafen
Because they persist in animal tissues, predators that consume poisoned rodents can accumulate the toxin over time. This persistence is a key reason the APVMA concluded that the current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non target animals, including native wildlife.
As part of the process, the regulator has certified that these products should be treated as restricted chemical products.
“Declaring SGAR products to be restricted chemical products would allow additional controls to be placed on their supply and use.”
This classification allows additional conditions to be applied to who can purchase the products and how they are used. The decision may lead to tighter controls on availability, use conditions, and product packaging.
Public consultation on the proposed measures has been underway as the APVMA finalises the details of the new framework. For many conservation advocates, the decision marks a long awaited recognition of the environmental risks associated with rodenticides.
The APVMA decision is not the final step in the process. Instead, it begins the next stage of regulatory action. Public consultation on the proposed regulatory changes closes in March 2026. After this period, the regulator will finalise the framework for how second generation anticoagulant rodenticides are supplied and used in Australia.
In the meantime, the APVMA has announced an interim suspension of products containing these chemicals beginning on 24 March 2026. This suspension will remain in place while regulators work with state and territory authorities to implement longer term controls.
This classification allows stronger conditions to be placed on how these products are supplied and used. In practice, this could mean that some of the most toxic rodenticide products currently available in supermarkets and hardware stores may only be accessible to licensed pest control professionals in the future.
The full timeline for these changes will depend on how the regulatory framework is implemented across Australia.
In some cases, retailers have already begun responding to the growing concern around rodenticide poisoning. Late last year, Amazon announced it would remove several second generation anticoagulant rodenticide products from sale on its platform, reflecting increasing scrutiny of these chemicals and their environmental impacts.
You can read more about that decision in our article on Amazon pulls deadly rodent poison in Australia, which explores how large retailers are beginning to reconsider the sale of these products as awareness of wildlife poisoning grows.
Following the regulator’s announcement, conservation group BirdLife Australia said in a social media post that hardware chain Bunnings has committed to removing second generation anticoagulant rodenticide products from its shelves by 30 June 2026, following the regulator’s recommendation that these poisons be restricted.
If implemented, the move would make Bunnings one of the first major retailers in Australia to voluntarily remove these products from general sale ahead of any national retail restrictions.
While stronger regulation alone will not eliminate rodenticide poisoning, it signals a growing understanding that pest control products must be considered within the wider ecological systems they affect. For those working with injured wildlife every day, that recognition is an important step forward.
If you would like to learn more about how rat poisons affect native animals, you can explore our detailed guide to Poisoning & Rodenticides, which explains how these chemicals move through ecosystems and what can be done to reduce their impact.
Further information about the rodenticide review can be found on the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website.
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