In an extraordinary move, New Zealand have announced plans to kill ALL Rats, Mice, Stoats and Possums in order to protect native birds. Surely the biggest threat to all animals, including birds, comes from destructive mankind, who is constantly building on and taking away the habitat of wild animals, so they are forced to come into ever increasing contact with human beings. 

An amendment to New Zealand law, The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill [passed in 2015], states that animals, like humans, are "sentient" beings.

"To say that animals are sentient is to state explicitly that they can experience both positive and negative emotions, including pain and distress." said Dr Virginia Williams, chair of the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee.

Kevin Hackwell of The Royal Society of New Zealand Forest and Bird said “The biggest hurdle in the end will be public support for the project. That will be the most important facet of this.” - let's show them that this disgraceful assault on wildlife will NOT be tolerated by the public and we demand these animals are left in peace.

Read more:

The Independent

John Key, the Prime Minister, said  “Our ambition is that by 2050 every single part of New Zealand will be completely free of rats, stoats and possums.

The Guardian

Possums, stoats and other introduced pests to be killed in ‘world-first’ extermination programme unveiled by PM