By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo mentioned that they see lead poisoning from time-to-time in wild raptors. When hunters or fishers use lead shot or sinkers, birds of prey can ingest these animals or fish and end up with lead poisoning.
Zoo Curator Ashley Burdick said staff will test vultures and
eagles that make their way into the zoo’s rehabilitation center.
"We see it fairly commonly," said Burdick. "If it's a low amount of lead, you can treat it. The eagle we had a couple of years ago we got it treated. It started doing better. What can happen is the lead will go into their bones and keep leaching. It ended up killing that one unfortunately."
Two eagles in the rehab center recently tested with low readings of lead.
"If they come in and have neurological signs and are lethargic, we definitely test those," said Burdick. "We always test eagles as well. We don't test every bird, but if they're showing symptoms we surely do."
Burdick encouraged hunters and fishermen to find alternatives to lead shot and
sinkers that do not poison wildlife.