Robert Wayne in the Daily Bruin: 2 studies link household rat poison to changes in L.A. bobcats’ immune system and genetics

Robert Wayne is a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who collaborates regularly with the park service. 

Two 2018 studies based on a 20-year collaboration between researchers at UCLA and the National Park Service show in stark detail that rodenticides are greatly altering bobcats’ immune response. The poisons also cause dramatic changes to their gene expression, particularly their skin and immune system, which researchers linked to health problems.