KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-Female Condor Dies of Lead Poison from Bullet
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The adult female of the only breeding pair of California Condors in San Benito County was recently rushed to the Los Angeles Zoo for emergency treatment after National Park Service biologists observed the bird exhibiting unusual behavior.
The condor's legs were not moving properly and it had ceased to fly as often as is normal for an adult condor.
The condor, #303, was originally released in Monterey by the Ventana Wildlife Society but later successfully nested in San Benito County with condor #313, the first and only breeding pair there in approximately 70 years.
Veterinarians identified the condor had an extremely high level of lead in its blood stream and emergency treatment was undertaken to help the bird pass lead out of its system. Paralysis of the legs had been brought about by the neuro-toxic effects of the heavy metal.
A radiograph also demonstrated that a metallic object was within the condor's digestive tract. Despite behavioral signs of recovery over two weeks of treatment, the condor nevertheless perished.
The cause of death was determined to be lead toxicosis.
Analyses were conducted at the University of California, Santa Cruz to determine the source of the lead. Researchers state that the lead fragment is entirely consistent with a fragment from lead-based ammunition.
Condors are scavengers, only eating dead animals. Condors can inadvertently ingest lead bullet fragments lodged in animal carcasses.
"The loss of this nesting condor is a blow to the recovery program for the species," said Dale Steele, California Department of Fish and Game Environmental Program Manager. "The use of lead ammunition is banned and the Department of Fish and Game takes the enforcement of the law and the recovery of the condor very seriously."
