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 […]
Tag: poisoning
Officials warn Northwesterners of shellfish due to contamination with toxin that can paralyze and kill you
Health officials have warned against eating shellfish caught along the cost of the Pacific Northwest due to fears of contamination of a lethal poison that causes paralysis and death. The Washington Department of Health has detected dangerously high levels of a deadly toxin called paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in clusters of seafood harvested from the […]
Country diary 1949: swans at risk of lead poisoning
PENRITH: Several visitors to the Lake District on Good Friday had the somewhat unusual experience of watching six mute swans flying up the River Eamont towards Ullswater. As they passed, only a yard or two above the water, their wings made a rushing sound as of waves swishing on a shingly shore. For the spectators […]
Scottish grouse moors to be licensed in attempt to protect birds of prey
Grouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday. The Scottish parliament voted for the controls amid intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey […]
Japan zoo probes possible mass squirrel poisoning
A Japanese zoo has launched a probe after apparently massacring 31 of its 40 squirrels by mistake with treatments meant to kill parasites, officials said. Keepers at the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo injected the animals with anti-parasitic medicine on December 4 as part of a sanitary precaution, while also spraying insecticide over their nest […]
Today is International Vulture Awareness Dday
To the vulture a terrible fate has been assigned. this magnificent bird misunderstood and maligned. this carrion eater has a huge job to do, cleaning up after all the mess and the yous. But man has the most ignoble distinction of almost poisoning this great bird into extinction. in this ”master plan” he has allowed […]
Migrating Steppe Eagles – Between Tanoumah & Abha
Whilst driving between Abha and Tanoumah in mid-October 2018 we saw 28 Steppe Eagles with a further 51 on the return journey. Birds seen included immatures, sub-adults and adults and will probably include birds that will stay the winter in the region along with migrants. These sightings fit in well with the idea that Steppe […]
The impact of plastic on our oceans
Around 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans, with these vast, wondrous bodies of water an essential part of our planet’s lifecycle. Plastic, however, is a serious threat to our oceans, and the wildlife that are so dependent on them. Ocean pollution is a huge issue, with plastic a particularly prominent pollutant. Researchers […]