Winnipeg's ground squirrels get new lease on life: Sulfur gas ruled out as control measure
City had asked to use The Giant Destroyer to control rodent overpopulation
The City of Winnipeg has lost its bid to use a controversial pesticide to kill burrowing ground squirrels that staff say have created a hazard on a number of athletic fields.
The provincial government rejected the city's application for a permit to use a sulfur gas product called "The Giant Destroyer" to kill the rodents. Their burrows create holes in the ground that can injure people and pets.
"I write to encourage the City of Winnipeg to explore alternative options that prioritize the safety and well-being of Manitobans," Mike Moyes, provincial environment and climate change minister, wrote in a letter to the city on Thursday.
"I recognize the challenge involved in balancing the safety of park visitors, environmental protection and public access … I hope the city will take the necessary steps to find a resolution that ensures our parks remain both accessible and safe for all this summer."
Left unchecked, the burrows created by the squirrels are a danger to people and animals.
The city initially planned to start using Giant Destroyer at eight parks and community centre fields on May 20, but the program was delayed while awaiting a provincial permit.
In a statement on Friday, the city said the province had denied its application after hearing from "a high volume" of people who were concerned with the pesticide strategy. The province said it also thought the city hadn't given adequately considered "alternative methods" for managing the squirrels.
A city spokesperson expressed disappointment in the decision.
"We do not have any other feasible options," read an email to CBC News. "As also mentioned, the public safety risk of deep, exposed holes in parks and playing fields is already significant and will only grow without control."
The Winnipeg Humane Society opposed the use of sulfur gas over concern the squirrels would die slowly.
"What we understand is that this type of sulfur bomb does not necessarily result in instantaneous death for the animal, so that could mean suffering as they die a slow and painful death for anywhere up to an hour. And obviously that's not anything that anyone wants to see," Krista Boryskavich, an animal advocacy lawyer with the society, told CBC News on Saturday.
"We've been working really hard to try and get a different approach to managing ground squirrels that is more humane and ethical, and that doesn't result in prolonged distress and suffering for animals, so this decision is certainly a win in that regard."
The city had planned to fill the holes with sand after the animals were killed to prevent any animals including dogs or coyotes from eating an affected rodent that had escaped a hole before it died.
The city's statement on Friday did not detail its next steps.
With files from Tess Adamski and Erin Brohman