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On 12/1, we received TWO lead poisoned vultures that came in just hours apart – one Black Vulture and one Turkey Vulture. Both still had lead fragments in the gastrointestinal tract and were suffering from severe signs of the poisoning.
Unfortunately, the Turkey Vulture passed away the following morning despite intensive treatment. The Black Vulture is looking better today, but this patient’s prognosis is still guarded.
Over 80% of our vultures & eagles, birds that exclusively/frequently scavenge, come to the Center with lead in their blood. Many, like these two, have potentially lethal levels (though any lead in the blood at all is abnormal and problematic).
These birds typically become poisoned when ingesting shot game or associated gut piles that have been left out. Lead is a soft metal & studies show that fragments can be found up to 18” from the wound channel when a game species is shot with lead-containing ammunition.
Deer are often field dressed & gut piles are left out for scavengers rather than being fully buried. When tiny flakes of lead in these gut piles are consumed, scavengers are poisoned & killed. A fragment of lead as small as a grain of rice can kill a vulture or eagle.
Though lead is in other items (old paint, batteries), these items aren’t coated in meat & aren’t often consumed. Lead in game meat is also a major public health risk as studies have shown varying levels of lead in a high proportion of venison donated to low income families.
https://Www.ndhealth.gov/lead/venison/ https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/2258651-whats-true-threat-lead-donated-venison
Humans eating venison and scavengers clearing gut piles do not deserve to be poisoned. Please make the switch to non-lead ammunition for hunted game. If you are using lead-containing ammunition to shoot “nuisance” animals, please consider humane alternatives.
http://www.huntingwithnonlead.org/ contains excellent information for hunters and those looking to purchase non-lead ammunition. It may be a change of habit, but making the change will save lives.
