Tragedy struck the Yurok tribe’s condor restoration efforts when one of the critically endangered birds succumbed to lead poisoning — an entirely preventable, human-caused threat — just months after being released from the Los Angeles Zoo into the wild. The bird, Pey-noh-pey-o-wok, had been flying freely for only three months when he died in the […]
Tag: lead ammunition
Promise to phase out lead from UK game shooting has failed, study finds
A voluntary promise to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, meaning wildlife and human health are being put at risk, a study has found. The vow, made in February 2020 by the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and keep toxic lead […]
Wildlife groups urge UK government to ban lead ammunition
Wildlife charities have called on the government to ban the sale and use of lead in ammunition used for outdoor shooting. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), RSPB, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Chem Trust and Wild Justice have sent an open letter to the environment secretary, Steve Reed, asking for a 18-month transition period for […]
Voluntary Lead-Free Ammunition Program Incentivizes Hunters
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will implement a voluntary, incentive-based program for hunters to use lead-free ammunition at seven National Wildlife Refuges for the fall 2024 hunting season. The announcement comes following years of scientific research indicating that lead ammunition and fishing tackle can negatively impact wildlife. In 2023, a special section in the […]
Lead poisoning continues to impact bald eagle populations in Pennsylvania and beyond
Reports of bald eagles dying from lead ammunition poisoning continue as populations of the formerly endangered bird soar. Bald eagle exposure to the pesticide DDT caused potential extinction a half century ago. And while the birds are no longer endangered and populations are still increasing, researchers say lead poisoning is taking a chunk of some […]
Heartbreaking news about lead use in our National Wildlife Refuges
I hate political, or personal, drama—it’s rather an odd thing for a Chicago woman of Irish descent, born-and-raised as a Cubs fan, but that’s just the way I am. I got all three of those traits, along with my normally low blood pressure, from my Grandpa. But today I can feel that blood pressure rising, […]
Over Two Thirds of Fatalities of Endangered California Condors Caused by Lead Poisoning
Here is another no-brainer for you. A new study authored by San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research scientists has found that 67 percent of adult condor deaths are attributable to lead poisoning! The massive effort to save the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) was initiated in 1982 when the remaining 22 wild birds were captured […]