Wildlife rescuers from the Wildside Rehabilitation and Education Center in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, were dismayed by the recent death of a rescued bald eagle, CBS News reported.
What's happening?
On Jan. 28, the Wildside Rehabilitation and Education Center shared an unsettling Facebook post.
It detailed the condition of a bald eagle named Armstrong, who had arrived at the center gravely ill.
In addition to several images of the ailing eagle, the facility shared a brief clip documenting Armstrong's condition.
"This video is hard to watch, we know ... watch it again ... and share ... this is lead poisoning," the video's caption began. "The lead has saturated this Bald [Eagle's] blood so much that he can not breathe, he can't see properly because oxygen is not able to get to his brain."
According to CBS News, the WREC began treating the sickened eagle on Jan. 28, but wildlife rehabilitators faced an uphill battle.
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The WREC explained on Facebook that it couldn't tell what Armstrong's lead blood levels were exactly.
"The lead test results were so high that the machine couldn't read them, it simply told us high. We administered medication immediately to try and counteract the poison seeping throughout his body," the organization said.
Volunteers administered fluids and sought to comfort the distressed eagle, but the extent of the lead poisoning was such that Armstrong succumbed to it on Friday, Jan. 30.
A user, citing conflicting reports, asked the Center if Armstrong was "still fighting."
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$200 or more 💰 "Armstrong passed away on Friday at approximately 3:30 pm in the arms of one of our volunteers," they replied.
Why is this concerning?
Although bald eagles are no longer officially listed as federally endangered, their populations once precipitously waned due to pesticide exposure and habitat loss.
CBS News referenced an American Eagle Foundation resource about the growing problem of lead poisoning in bald eagles.
According to the group, a shocking 47% of bald eagles and 46% of golden eagles exhibited signs of chronic lead poisoning in a 2022 study. In samples taken in 38 states over eight years, up to 35% of eagles sampled "had acute lead poisoning."
The National Park Service noted that exposure often occurs through ingestion of "lead bullet fragments" in deer or other food sources. Discarded fishing tackle is another pathway for contamination.
However, broader industrial contamination was deemed another atmospheric source of lead exposure in bald eagles.
What's being done about it?
The WREC, American Eagle Foundation, and park service all took the same stance on how to reduce lead poisoning in eagle populations.
"Because these exposures are accidental … the best way to decrease the risk of lead exposure is to transition to non-lead ammunition and tackle," the American Eagle Foundation advised.
"Please consider using alternative ammo and sinkers," the WREC implored on Facebook. "Bald Eagles are scavenger raptors."
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