Ellie’s name will be honoured — and her death will not be in vain

Ellie was a baby.
She was wild and free,
She was loved.

Ellie was named in honour of someone deeply loved who had also passed away — her name was given with intention, care, and meaning. When her autopsy confirmed pindone poisoning, the weight of that loss was devastating.

Ellie’s name will never be reused.

But her story must be told — because what happened to her is still happening to wildlife across Australia.

Pindone is a first‑generation anticoagulant poison. It works by preventing blood from clotting, causing animals to bleed internally over time. This is not a quick death. Humane control assessments have described pindone poisoning as involving days of decline and distress, and notably rate pindone as more inhumane than 1080. Animals do not die immediately — they weaken, become lethargic, and can remain mobile for days while bleeding internally.

Ellie likely walked around in agony before she died.

And this is the part that keeps wildlife carers awake at night:

How many others are out there right now, suffering the same way — never found, never counted?

Poisons do not stay neatly with their intended target. Pindone moves through landscapes and ecosystems. Non‑target wildlife are exposed directly to bait and indirectly through food‑chain effects. This is not just about kangaroos. Wildlife at risk includes possums, bandicoots, birds (including raptors and scavengers), and reptiles. Many impacts are never reported, never witnessed, and never traced back to the poison that caused them.

Despite this, ready‑to‑use pindone baits remain widely accessible through retail supply chains in Australia, increasing the risk of misuse and non‑target exposure.

This continued availability is increasingly difficult to justify — especially when viewed in an international context.

Pindone was declared ineligible for registration in the United States, has never been registered in the United Kingdom, and is not used in the European Union. These jurisdictions have moved away from this poison due to welfare and safety concerns.

So the question Australians must now ask is simple and confronting:

Why is Australia still allowing it?

This petition calls for action — not more reviews, not better brochures, but real change. We are asking decision‑makers to ban pindone, cancel existing registrations, remove it from sale, and prioritise humane, wildlife‑safe alternatives that do not cause prolonged suffering and silent deaths.

Ellie’s name will be honoured — and her death will not be in vain.