City Hall considers rodents a health risk
PALISADES PARK — Animal-rights activists have their chestnuts in a twist over the city’s poisoning of ground squirrels, but the city contends they’re barking down the wrong burrow.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has lobbed criticism at City Hall for poisoning the rodents running rampant at Pali–sades Park, recently sending a letter to Mayor Pam O’Connor urging her to order city employees to immediately remove all pesticides being used to poison ground squirrels at the park. used by the city is slow and agonizing,” says PETA Wildlife Biologist Stephanie Boyles. “No one knows how many animals have suffered and died, but the mayor has the power to stop this cruel program.”
City Hall had been attempting to suppress the ground squirrel population at the park since the spring, following the Los Angeles County Health Department’s finding of a rapid growth in the number of active ground squirrel burrows.
However, City Hall stopped using the pesticide in late June.
LA County officials classify ground squirrels as communal rodents with fleas, which carry the bubonic plague — a health risk to humans and other animals when a field inspection reveals there are more than three per acre above ground, said Gail VanGordon, a supervisor for the vector-born disease surveillance unit.
Exceeding this visual survey, VanGordon said the county conducted two in-depth inspections at Palisades Park in March, which revealed the number of below-ground burrows had increased from 46 to 146 in a matter of weeks. Since the ground squirrels frequently burrow together, that likely put their number well into the hundreds.
County officials informed City Hall the ground squirrel population had to be reduced to safer levels. City Hall managed to accomplish that using pesticide bait traps that decreased the number of ground squirrels, rats, mice and other rodents at Palisades.
According to VanGordon, the county conducted its last visual inspection of the park a month ago.
“We will continue to monitor the situation,” VanGordon said.
Since it stopped using the pesticides a month ago, City Hall is not taking any measures to control the ground squirrel population at Palisades Park. City officials couldn’t calculate the number of ground squirrels that have been killed due to the pesticide.
City Hall spokeswoman Judy Rambeau said if residents stopped feeding the ground squirrels, it might minimize their population growth. She said alternate control methods have been explored, but birth control is not available for ground squirrels.
PETA representative Mylie Thompson said in the letter to Mayor O’Connor that City Hall should be targeting fleas — not ground squirrels or other animals. Thompson suggested City Hall apply a flea powder around the bait traps that will only eradicate the fleas.
O’Connor said City Hall’s efforts to keep the ground squirrel population down is a precaution against humans and pets being infected.
“The goal is not to eradicate the ground squirrel population, but to address a public health issue and get the ground squirrel population down to a natural level,” O’Connor said in response to PETA’s letter.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 29, 2005. Read the original PDF.