It is claimed that native animals are not affected by 1080. This is not true. Speaking in 1991, the late Dr Peter Rawlinson said Victoria's marsupials have suffered greatly from exposure to 1080 and the poisoned animals may take up to four days to die.

"They run at random banging into trees. Then the respiratory muscles fail and they suffocate" said Dr Rawlinson.

Staff at the Wildlife Sanctuary near Morwell in Eastern Victoria confirmed that exposed animals convulse and haemorrhage blood from ears, nose and mouth. After one aerial drop of 1080, bodies of 80 wallabies and wombats were found, who had been killed by the poison. Small species of birds are beginning to disappear because of the 1080 and even magpies and kookaburras convulse and die.