Since 1782, the bald eagle has upheld its reign as the de facto American national bird, representing vigor, freedom, and triumph (though the official designation of its symbolic status is only being enacted this summer).
The majestic bird has also known its fair share of trials. For example, widespread usage of the pesticide DDT drove it to endangerment (and near-extinction) about 60 years ago.
Now, the bald eagle faces another threat: lead poisoning from accidental consumption of recreational hunting ammunition, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
What's happening?
Lead poisoning is dangerous for all. "There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects," wrote the World Health Organization.
For young children, it can create severe, permanent, and sometimes fatal impairments in the nervous system. Adults exposed to lead, the WHO added, may develop high blood pressure, kidney damage, or heart problems among other health concerns.
Animals are affected, too. The Post-Gazette spoke with Carol Holmgren, the executive director of a Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitation center.
The bald eagle is particularly susceptible to lead poisoning, Holmgren detailed, due to its digestive system makeup. Once eagles consume lead, it "is metabolized … and sent to the bloodstream and organs," making it harder to reverse course with treatment.
A recent study, published in the journal Science, shows an almost 4% suppression of North American population growth for bald eagles due to lead poisoning, the Post-Gazette explained. Holmgren put it simply: "[We] have environmental issues going on and we are concerned."
Why is the bald eagle important?
The bald eagle's rally from the brink of eradication to a population boom is a historic victory. But what goes up can come down, experts fear.
Lead poisoning deaths make the bird's population more vulnerable to additional perils such as illness, drought, heat, and habitat disruptions.
"The concern is continued population resilience," commented wildlife disease ecologist and Cornell University Wildlife Health Lab director Krysten Schuler to the Post-Gazette.
The entire local ecosystem reacts to a species' decline, leading to troubling outcomes like economic damage, disease spread, water contamination, and food insecurity.
What's being done about lead ammunition poisoning?
Lead is "a preventable source of eagle mortality," remarked Schuler in the Post-Gazette. Hunters in the region have been advised to properly conceal animal remains below ground and to select non-lead ammunition.
One hunter, Hank Forester, provided his account of copper ammunition usage to the National Deer Association, noting that most hunters' lesser perceptions of the lead alternative relate to much older models and have been resolved in modern copper bullets.
Forester advised other hunters to seek education on the ripple effect of standard practices. "You're responsible for that bullet and its impact … down the food chain," he wrote. "That's why I choose non-lead where I can."
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