HARRISBURG (TNS) — A Lancaster County wildlife rehabilitation center has shared a social media post lamenting the death of “yet another” of the state’s bald eagles due to lead poisoning.
A post made to the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center’s Facebook page said that despite their team’s efforts to help a recently rescued eagle, the animal was so thoroughly poisoned by lead contamination that it could not survive.
In an interview with Fox 43, Raven Ridge’s director and lead rehabilitator Tracie Young said that the levels of lead were “so high in this eagle that it didn’t register.”
“It’s a very painful death,” Young told Fox 43. “When we do get eagles in here it’s a very long rehab. It’s very painful. But it’s also heartbreaking to watch too.”
Young told Fox 43 that eagles, and other scavengers such as foxes and other birds of prey, can often be poisoned through feeding on carcasses of dead deer, or the remains left from being gutted by hunters, which can still have bullet fragments within. The toxic metal can then lead to neurological damage to the animals, giving them tics, seizures, and affecting their ability to fly, walk or stand before killing them.
“Lead has been an issue for the state’s birds for a long time,” the Raven Ridge Facebook post reads. “Often, eagles and other species will pick up pieces of the toxic metal left behind from bullets or fishing gear. And just like humans, they can face dire health consequences from lead exposure. Now, researchers have confirmed that lead is taking a toll on eagles across the whole continent. Eagles across the U.S. found that almost half of them suffered from chronic lead poisoning — and that lead was likely stunting population growth in these species.”
The post then suggests that a simple change in ammunition could potentially prevent this widespread issue.
“We are asking our sportsmen and anglers across our state to switch over from lead products,” the post said. “Copper ammunition is an effective replacement for hunting deer, and tungsten is a popular alternative for fishing tackle.”
The post ends with a link to the Facebook page for the nonprofit group Hunting With Non-Lead Bullets, whose official website can be found here.
“We consult with their team for advice and guidance on sharing with our sportsman how they can make a difference and make the switch,” the post said.
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