“Don’t put your food in the dead cat box!”

—things I never thought I would say. (One of my roommates works at a veterinary clinic, and is using the boxes they put dead animals in to pack with…I object.)

theinformedvegan:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken blame for the recent death of 200 starlings in South Dakota.  Once thought to be caused by severe cold, the USDA admitted to poisoning the birds because the were pooping on feed at a nearby feedlot. 

The USDA used bait laced with a poison called DRC-1339.  Official reports about the poison reveal that after ingestion, birds could suffer up to 50 hours before death. The DRC-1339 ceases an animal’s kidney function and wastes will build up to toxic levels. The birds will become “inactive” then “comatose” and eventually die.

Sounds grisly.  The USDA poisons birds to protect feed on a feedlot.  Sad that the USDA is so casual about the whole thing like poisoning animals is just all in a days work.  Their only response was, “we were surprised they [the birds] got so far” after being poisoned. The bodies were found scattered ten miles away.

What about all the other mass animal deaths? Any explanation for those yet, other than the end being nigh?