BOSTON — The red-tailed hawk from the New England Wildlife Center known as Falco returned to Beacon Hill on Monday as animal rights advocates promoted legislation to curtail the use of rodenticides that can be harmful across the food chain.
Falco clung onto the gloved hand of Zak Mertz, the center’s CEO, at the State House steps while surrounded by supporters who wore owl ear headbands and held posters that read, “Rat poison is raptor poison,” “Don’t poison our food” and “Say no to rat poison!!!”
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm$@>6 DFAA@CE6CD 5:DA=2J65 42C53@2C5 4FE@FED @7 628=6D 2?5 @H=D]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 366? EC62E:?8 C@56?E:4:56 42D6D 7@C 8@:?8 @? EH@ 564256D] %92E’D a_ J62CD @7 D66:?8 92H E9:D EJA6 @7 A@:D@?[” |6CEK D2:5] “xE’D 2 9@CC:3=6 E9:?8 E@ 92G6 2? FA7C@?E D62E E@]”k^Am
kAmp =68:D=2E:G6 4@>>:EE66 @? |@?52J 962C5 E6DE:>@?J @? 2 3:== DA@?D@C65 3J #6A] y:> w2H<:?D 2?5 $6?] |:4926= |@@C6 Ww hed ^ $ eccX E@ A92D6 @FE 2?E:4@28F=2?E C@56?E:4:56D[ H9:49 AC6G6?E 3=@@5 4=@EE:?8 2?5 42? 36 =6E92= E@ 2?:>2=D H9@ 62E E96>]k^Am
kAm%96 A@:D@? 244F>F=2E6D 😕 5625 @C 5J:?8 C@56?ED[ H9:49 42? 36 DF3D6BF6?E=J 72E2= E@ C2AE@CD[ 7@I6D[ 4@J@E6D 2?5 @E96C AC652E@CD E92E 62E E96>] !6ED[ :?4=F5:?8 42ED 2?5 5@8D[ 42? 2=D@ 364@>6 D:4< 2?5 5:6 H96? E96J 4@>6 :?E@ 4@?E24E H:E9 A@:D@?65 C@56?ED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ |2DD pF5F3@?]k^Am
kAm“q642FD6 E96 DJ>AE@>D @7 C@56?E:4:56 >2J 56G6=@A @G6C 2 76H 52JD[ A6E @H?6CD D@>6E:>6D 2C6 F?2H2C6 F?E:= :E’D E@@ =2E6[” D2:5 y2>:6 u2=K@?6[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 |2DD249FD6EED ‘6E6C:?2CJ |65:42= pDD@4:2E:@?[ 2E E96 y@:?E r@>>:EE66 @? t?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D 962C:?8] “%9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD @7 G6E6C:?2CJ 42C6[ H666?E AFE 2 D:8?:7:42?E 7:?2?4:2= 2?5 6>@E:@?2= DEC2:? @? 72>:=:6D]”k^Am
kAmu2=4@ H2D 9:E 3J 2 42C 23@FE a_ J62CD 28@] |6CEK E@=5 E96 }6HD $6CG:46 :E 😀 F?4=62C H96E96C E96 244:56?E H2D 42FD65 3J 5:C64E 6IA@DFC6 E@ 2 C@56?E:4:56[ H9:49 4@F=5 92G6 27764E65 u2=4@’D 23:=:EJ E@ 7=J]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6 5@ @H 😀 E92E ?62C=J `__T @7 C65E2:=65 92H
kAmu2=4@ 2=D@ >256 2? 2AA62C2?46 2E E96 962C:?8] p5G@42E6D D62E65 @? E96 8C@F?5 😕 E96 4C@H565 962C:?8 C@@> H6C6 :?DECF4E65 E@ 4=62C 2 A2E9 7@C |6CEK[ H9@ H2D 92?5=:?8 u2=4@[ 2?5 D@>6 =2H>2<6CD BF:4<=J D?2AA65 A9@E@D @7 E96 C2C6 D:89E]k^Am
kAmp3@FE `c_ =2H>2<6CD 92G6 4@DA@?D@C65 E96 3:==D[ H9:49 2C6 32D65 @? 2 a_ac r2=:7@C?:2 =2H[ |@@C6 D2:5] &?56C E96 AC@A@D2=D[ 2?E:4@28F=2?E C@56?E:4:56D 4@F=5 DE:== 36 FD65 5FC:?8 AF3=:4 962=E9 6>6C86?4:6D[ 2D H6== 2D E@ AC@E64E 5C:?<:?8 H2E6C DFAA=J[ E@ 4@?EC@= E96 DAC625 @7 >@DBF:E@3@C?6 :==?6DD6D 2?5 7@C “6>6C86?E :?764E:@FD 5:D62D6 4@?EC@=]”k^Am
kAmxE’D ?@E 2 ?6H :DDF6 @? q624@? w:== 2?5 😕 2?@E96C D:8?2= @7 8C@H:?8 DFAA@CE[ he 4:E:6D 2?5 E@H?D 2C6 @C82?:K:?8 E@ AC@9:3:E C@56?E:4:56 FD6[ H9:=6 cb >F?:4:A2=:E:6D 92G6 A@=:4:6D =:>:E:?8 E96:C FD6 2?5 `h >F?:4:A2=:E:6D 2C6 AFD9:?8 9@>6 CF=6 A6E:E:@?D E@ 32? C@56?E:4:56D @? AF3=:4 2?5 AC:G2E6 AC@A6CEJ[ D2:5 w62E96C !24<2C5[ 2 4@>>F?:EJ @C82?:K6C H:E9 |2DD pF5F3@?] (9:=6 E96C6’D 2 “=@E @7 DFAA@CE 😕 @FC {68:D=2EFC6[” !24<2C5 D2:5 D96 E9:?
kAmp5G@42E6D 2C6 AFD9:?8 7@C :?E68C2E65 A6DE >2?286>6?E A=2?D[ H9:49 8@ 36J@?5 E96 6I:DE:?8 E24E:4 @7 A=24:?8 32:E 3@I6D ?62C @G6C7=@H:?8 5F>ADE6CD[ !24<2C5 D2:5] x?DE625[ E9@D6 4@>AC696?D:G6 A=2?D 42? 6>3C246 D@=FE:@?D =:<6 “6I4=FD:@?” — @C D62=:?8 9@=6D 2?5 4C24:?2E65” H:E9 4@>>F?:EJ D2?:E2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F 5@?’E 255C6DD E96 D2?:E2E:@? :DDF6D[ 2?J 7@C> @7 =6E92= >6E9@5 😀 8@:?8 E@ 36 `__T :?67764E:G6[ :?4=F5:?8 2?E:4@28F=2?E C@56?E:4:56D[” !24<2C5 E@=5 E96 }6HD $6CG:46] “$2?:E2E:@? 😀 E96 ?F>36C @?6 :DDF6 7@C FC32? 46?E6CD]”k^Am
kAmv2=G:? |FCA9J[ AC6D:56?E @7 *2?<66 !6DE r@?EC@= 😕 |2=56?[ H2C?65 (q 23@FE E96 :>A24E @7 w2H<:?D’ 3:== 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“x7 E9:D 3:==[ E96 H2J :E’D HC:EE6?[ A2DD6D[ H6’C6 =@D:?8 2 G6CJ :>A@CE2?E E@@= 😕 @FC E@@=3@I[ 96 E@=5 (q]k^Am
kAm|FCA9J[ E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E @7 E96 }6H t?8=2?5 !6DE |2?286>6?E pDD@4:2E:@?[ C68:DE6C65 9:D @AA@D:E:@? 😕 2 a_a_ q@DE@? v=@36 A@== 23@FE H96E96C E96 DE2E6 D9@F=5 32? E96 FD6 @7 A@:D@? 7@C C@56?E 4@?EC@=]k^Am
kAm“x7 H6 H6C6 E@ C6>@G6 E96 @AE:@? @7 FD:?8 C@56?E:4:56 2D A2CE @7 A6DE >2?286>6?E[ E6?2?ED 😕 FC32? >F=E:72>:=J 9@FD:?8 3F:=5:?8D[ 😕 A2CE:4F=2C[ H@F=5 7246 DF3A2C D2?:E2E:@? 2?5 C@56?E :?76DE2E:@? :DDF6D[ =625:?8 E@ =2C86CD42=6 962=E9 42C6 4@?46C?D 2?5 A@@C =:G:?8 4@?5:E:@?D[” |FCA9J HC@E6]k^Am
kAm%96 |2DD249FD6EED s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 #6D@FC46D 92D 366? 4@?5F4E:?8 2 D4:6?E:7:4 C6G:6H @7 E96 9F>2? 962=E9 2?5 64@=@8:42= :>A24ED @7 2?E:4@28F=2?E C@56?E:4:56D] %96 DEF5J H2D AC@>AE65 3J 2 A6E:E:@? =2DE J62C 7C@> E96 w2CG2C5 {2H $49@@= p?:>2= {2H 2?5 !@=:4J r=:?:4[ H9:49 42==65 7@C E96 “:>>65:2E6 DFDA6?D:@?” @7 C68:DE6C:?8 2?E:4@28F=2?E C@56?E:4:56D 2?5 2C8F65 E96 AC@5F4ED “A@D6 2? F?C62D@?23=6 C:D< E@ ?@?E2C86E H:=5=:76 DA64:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 C2AE@CD 2?5 @E96C AC652E@CD E92E DF776C D64@?52CJ A@:D@?:?8 7C@> 4@?DF>:?8 27764E65 C@56?ED]”k^Am
kAmp? pF8FDE C6A@CE AC6A2C65 7@C |sp# 6IA=@C65 G2C:@FD 496>:42= 2?5 ?@?496>:42= 2=E6C?2E:G6D[ “6249 @7 H9:49 :?G@=G6D EC256@77D 😕 E6C>D @7 762D:3:=:EJ[ 67764E:G6?6DD[ 2?5 C:D<]”k^Am
kAm“x?E68C2E65 !6DE |2?286>6?E Wx!|X 2AAC@2496D H6C6 H:56=J C64@>>6?565 3J :?E6C6DE65 A2CE:6D 2D 2 7:CDE=:?6 DEC2E68J E@ C65F46 C6=:2?46 @? p#D[” E96 C6A@CE D2JD] “w@H6G6C[ D@>6 :?E6C6DE65 A2CE:6D 24@H=65865 E92E 496>:42= 4@?EC@= C6>2:?D 2? :>A@CE2?E ‘E@@= 😕 E96 E@@=3@I’ 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ 36 FD65 3J =:46?D65 2AA=:42E@CD 😕 >2?J D6EE:?8D]”k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6 😕 pD93FCE@? !2C< @? |@?52J[ @E96C ?2EFC6 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED H62C:?8 366 4@DEF>6D C2==:65 29625 @7 E96 962C:?8 😕 DFAA@CE @7 2 #6A] {:?5D2J $2325@D2 3:== Ww `_c`X E92E H@F=5 32? E96 D2=6 @7 2?J 28C:4F=EFC2= D665 7@C 4@C?[ H962E @C D@J362? E92E’D 366? EC62E65 H:E9 ?6@?:4@E:?@:5 A6DE:4:56D] %96 AC@A@D2= H@F=5 E2<6 67764E @? y2?] `[ a_ah]k^Am
kAm“%9@FD2?5D @7 366 4@=@?:6D 2C6 4@==2AD:?8 2C@F?5 |2DD249FD6EED[ 2?5 @?6 >2:? 42FD6 😀 D665D 4@2E65 H:E9 ?6@?:4 A6DE:4:56D[” y@D6A9 !2AA2D[ 42>A2:8? 2DD@4:2E6 7@C t?G:C@?>6?E |2DD249FD6EED[ D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “v@G6C?@C w62=6J 42? :DDF6 2 C68F=2E:@?[ E96 DE2E6 =68:D=2EFC6 42? A2DD 2 3:==[ @C 4@>A2?:6D 42? DE@A AC@5F4:?8 E96D6 E@I:4 A6DE:4:56D] #682C5=6DD @7 9@H :E’D 5@?6[ H6 ?665 E@ DE@A A@==FE:?8 @FC D@:= H:E9 E96D6 366<:==:?8 D665D]”k^Am
kAmr@>>6C4:2= 366<66A6CD =@DE 23@FE g_T @7 E96:C 3669:G6D 36EH66? a_ac 2?5 a_ad[ 244@C5:?8 E@ t?G:C@?>6?E |2DD249FD6EED]k^Am