Bald Eagle Dies from Lead Poisoning
Wildwoods wildlife rehabilitation center in Duluth reported some sad news about a beautiful bald eagle.
The mature male eagle was found in Roosevelt, Minnesota, located just south of Lake of The Woods, with signs of lead poisoning that included green staining on his tail feathers, weight loss with no signs of injury, and the eagle was listing to one side.
The eagle was also trying to vomit with an empty stomach, all bad signs when the eagle was brought to Wildwoods. It turns out that the poisoning was very advanced and the eagle died shortly after arriving at the center.
Wildwoods says that eagles spend their time scavenging and if they happen on a deer that has been killed by lead bullets, or if they scavenge a gut pile left behind with lead shot in it, it could poison eagles or other wildlife, they go on to say a very small amount is enough to make an eagle sick.
When an eagle gets lead poisoning their reaction time is reduced which could lead to being struck by a vehicle, and if the eagle ingests enough lead it could prevent them from flying and eating, eventually leading to death.
If you're going hunting, Wildwoods strongly encourages the use of non-lead ammunition, not only could you help protect wildlife, but that lead could also be poisoning the meat you consume gathered while hunting.