Many Black Rats are being found outdoors and moribund this year, typically as a result of consuming anti-coagulant rodenticides. The readily available 'second generation' anti-coagulants such as Brodifacoum and Bromadiolone make the rats and their carcasses dangerous to birds. Many owls have been killed. To reduce this impact, use other rodent control methods such as exclusion barriers (eg rat-proof the chook yard/feeder), traps, or bait with first generation anti-coagulants such as Warfarin.