To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

PETA Begs Aussie Farmers Not To Kill Mice That Are Plaguing Their Properties

PETA Begs Aussie Farmers Not To Kill Mice That Are Plaguing Their Properties

They say mice shouldn't be 'robbed' of their right to food 'because of the dangerous notion of human supremacy'.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The animal rights organisation PETA has waded into the mice plague that is affecting farmers along eastern Australia.

The population of the tiny critters has exploded in rural areas and it's causing millions of dollars in damage for producers and pushing them to the brink.

Videos have popped up all over social media showing the scale of how many mice have invaded any one area and it's enough to send shivers down viewers' spines.

Many farmers are trying to poison the mice en masse or have created traps that ensure they're killed by the hundred each time.

However, PETA has begged producers to be more kind to the animals who are just trying to find something to eat.

PETA spokeswoman Aleesha Naxakis told NCA NewsWire: "These bright, curious animals are just looking for food to survive.

"They shouldn't be robbed of that right because of the dangerous notion of human supremacy. In the meantime, we urge farmers and residents to avoid poisoning these animals.

"This cruel killing method not only subjects innocent mice to unbearably painful deaths, but also poses the risk of spreading bacteria in water when mouse carcasses appear in water tanks."

Never mind the idea that some farmers are individually losing up to $300,000 worth of ruined crops due to this problem; it's the mouse's welfare we should be worried about.

According to News Corp, it's estimated the total damage bill already for the mice plague has reached $100 million and there are few signs the mouse population is dying down.

Unsurprisingly, the idea that farmers should stop in their efforts to kill the mice has sparked a furious reaction from Australia's Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael McCormack said PETA are the 'real rats' in this mice plague and they should keep their 'bloody stupid ideas' to themselves.

"Their thinking around this is reprehensible, when you have farmers struggling," he told NCA NewsWire

"You have these people who have never left the city and wouldn't know if their backside was on fire, then all of a sudden they're telling farmers what to do?

"The only good mouse is a dead mouse."

Experts have already claimed poison is the best method at killing these mice and the catch-and-release system wouldn't work because there's just too many of them.

The rodent invasion has been affecting farmers from southern Queensland, through NSW and into northern Victoria.

The summer rains that helped alleviate drought conditions for farmers has also helped the mice population boom. A female mouse can be pregnant at just six weeks old and can give birth to up to 10 mice every 20 days.

Featured Image Credit: Brody Roche via Storyful

Topics: PETA, Australia