Obscured warning signs for rat poison at Whanganui’s Victoria Park raise concerns

Whanganui District Council will be trimming the hedge back shortly.

Warning signs for rat poison at Victoria Park on St Johns Hill will be made more visible by the Whanganui District Council.

A member of the public, who was training a puppy on a long lead, told the Chronicle they had no idea the poison was there and only found out about it from fellow dog walkers.

By that stage, the puppy had been in and around bushes at the park.

It was then a waiting game to see if the dog fell ill, but much to the owner’s “great relief”, it didn’t.

Signs notifying the public of the bait operation are located in the hedge next to Parson Street.

A Whanganui District Council spokesperson said the signs had been obscured by overgrown foliage from spring growth, for which it apologised.

“The hedge is due to be cut back shortly, and the sign will be more prominently displayed.

“Baiting is carried out by a professional pest controller using approved bait stations that dogs and people cannot access.”

There was only one bait station in place at Victoria Park, which contained Pest Off (brodifacoum), the spokesperson said.

“If ingested, the bait is harmful to other animals. However, the rat bait stations are designed for rats only to access.

“As always, dog owners must have control of their animals and be able to see them at all times, whether at on-leash or off-leash areas.

“The council rat baits regularly at Victoria Park because rats are regularly seen there by members of the public - mostly local residents.”