Having poison bait and dead animals close to a public walkway in the Ross Creek area is "disgraceful", Dunedin man Peter Cruise says.
Mr Cruise was also concerned at the numbers of dead birds, such as blackbirds, around the bait stations.
"We need all the songbirds we can get."
He was uneasy that the poison and its results were close to the Ross Creek walkway and edge of the Balmacewen Golf Course, as young children and dogs often played and collected golf balls in the area.
"You don't really want it on your doorstep. Indiscriminate poisoning is not the way to go."
The least the Dunedin City Council could do was ensure the dead animals were picked up, so they were not so close to a public place, he said.
Dunedin City Council parks officer Scott MacLean said while he had not had a chance to investigate the situation himself, contractors were required to place the bait stations a minimum of 10m from any walkway and pick up the dead animals every morning.
The poison used was encapsulated cyanide, so there was no residue left in the dead possums and there was a very low risk of secondary poisoning, he said.
The type of poison meant there was also "absolutely no" chance of it killing birds in the area.
However, the poisoning area was well signposted, instructing people to keep their dogs on a lead and not go off the track.
Poisoning in that area was part of the annual maintenance programme aimed at eliminating possums from the bush to protect and enhance conservation values.
