Village Vet Treats Bald Eagle

An adult bald eagle found in Prince William County on Jan. 10, near Route 234 (between Manassas and Dumfries), was taken to in Burke, reported the Augusta Free Press.

The bird was suffering from lead poisoning.  He was transferred to The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a hospital for native wildlife located in Waynesboro.  Despite treatment, including oxygen therapy, the bird died Thursday afternoon.

According to The Wildlife Center's website, "No injuries were found other than an old keel fracture, but the lead analyzer confirmed that the bird was suffering from lead toxicity – at levels that were too high for the Center’s machine to read."

The eagle was the third admitted to the center with lead toxicity since December 30. Routine radiographs show these eagles have ingested lead shotgun pellets or bullet fragments.  According to the Augusta Free Press, "The eagles ingest these fragments while scavenging animals that have been shot but not recovered by hunters, or by feeding on the entrails of game animals, like deer, which have been harvested and “field dressed.”

"Field dressing is the practice of removing the internal organs from animals harvested for human consumption, in order to preserve the quality of the meat.  Typically, these entrails are simply left on the ground.  Even the smallest bit of lead from bullets or shot left in these internal organs can quickly disable or kill a bird like a Bald Eagle when it feeds on these remains," the paper said.

In 1991 the federal government instituted a prohibition on the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting.  Ed Clark, president of The Wildlife Center, estimates that has saved about four million ducks and geese annually, and greatly reduced the amount of lead in wetlands.

Hunters are requested to switch to non-lead ammunition, or to dispose of carcasses and animal parts that may contain lead fragments. 

The Wildlife Center of Virginia has published Lead Toxicity in Raptors, to provide more information.