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Lead Exposure in Condors

Lead Exposure in Condors. Monterey County Fish and Game Commission Meeting August 10, 2010. Presented By Joe Burnett, Sr. Wildlife Biologist Ventana Wildlife Society. North America’s largest flying land bird with a 9-1/2 foot wingspan, weighing 20-25lbs Can live 50-60 years in the wild

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Lead Exposure in Condors

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  1. Lead Exposure in Condors Monterey County Fish and Game Commission Meeting August 10, 2010 Presented By Joe Burnett, Sr. Wildlife Biologist Ventana Wildlife Society

  2. North America’s largest flying land bird with a 9-1/2 foot wingspan, weighing 20-25lbs • Can live 50-60 years in the wild • Typically lay one egg every other year and mate for life Condor Facts

  3. Opportunistic scavengers • Do not kill animals and do not have talons • Condors primarily scavenge on pig, deer, sea lion and cattle carcasses • Currently, condors feed on both supplemental and wild food sources Condor Facts

  4. 1987- Last Wild Condor Removed From The Wild, Only 27 Condors Remain, all in Captivity • 1988- First Egg LaidIn Captivity • 1992- First Release Of Captive-born Condors In Southern CA • 1996- First Release In Arizona • 1997- First Release In Monterey County, Big Sur • 2003- First Releases In Pinnacles And Baja, Mex • 2005- First Successful Nest In Southern CA • 2007- First Successful Nest In Monterey County • 2009- First Successful Nest In San Benito County • 2010- CA Free-Flying Population reaches 90+ birds Condor Recovery Timeline

  5. 150 free-flying condors in CA. • 150 condors in captivity • 15 Breeding Pairs in the wild • Positive growth rate for wild flock Currently 96 = 54 in Cen Cal and 42 in So Cal 150 + 12 Pairs NO Recovery Goals- California

  6. Condor Release Sites

  7. Lead Toxicosis • Powerlinecollisions • Intentional Shooting • Trash Ingestion in nestlings • West Nile Virus • DDT Natural: • Predation (Golden Eagles, Coyotes, Rattlesnakes) • Wild Fires Ban on lead ammo in condor range Removal/marking lines Education/Outreach Trash Clean-up Vaccine protects condors Limits egg production Limiting Factors

  8. Federal requirement banned lead shot for hunting waterfowl in 1991 • Bald Eagles, our National Symbol, are hunters/scavengers that have been documented ingesting spent lead ammo in carcasses, many die as a result Lead Toxcity and Wildlife

  9. Lead Exposure in Condors

  10. Lead ammunition is the primary source of lead exposure in condors How do we now this? • Pathway exists- Lead fragments are ingested when condors consume hunter-shot game/gut piles. • Lead source confirmed by recovery of lead shot and bullet fragments from digestive tracts of condors. • Tissue and blood isotopes match those of lead ammo. • Other lead sources ruled out: • Fishing sinkers • Tire irons • Paint • Atmospheric/environmental Source of Leadin Condors

  11. Radiographs of spent lead ammo fragments in rifle-killed deer

  12. Effective July 1, 2008

  13. The number of condors exposed to lead levels (higher than 10 mg/dl) has dropped since ban • Isolated severe poisoning events still persist • In 2009, two condors were lost to lead poisoning • In 2010, nest at Pinnacles failed after chick and parents were lead-poisoned • Case studies condor 303 and 401… Post-ban Lead Exposure

  14. Condor 303, lead shot in gut

  15. Condor 401- Lead shot in gut

  16. Does Non-lead ammo… • Provide condors a safe food source? YES • Make hunting illegal in condor areas? NO • Requires use of non-lead ammo? YES • Benefits other wildlife like Bald Eagles? YES Condors and Hunting

  17. Non-leadBullets

  18. Non-lead bullets were designed for hunters, not for condor biologists. They are used by hunters and hunting guides all over the world • Ballistics equal to Lead ammo • Non-lead bullets kill game • Yes, they do work Non-Lead Bullets: Do they work?

  19. Must sight in your rifle with non-lead ammo • Guns shoot differently, need to find out what non-lead ammo works best with your gun • They can pass through animal: they expand on impact (no fragmentation), but carry more energy due to increased weight retention. • You still get same stopping power and same end result= one dead animal • Fouling- Newer non-lead ammo has fouling similar to copper jacketed lead ammo. Transitioning to Non-lead ammo

  20. Ammo Brothers, Barnes Bullets Inc. , Black Hills Ammunition, CCI , Cutting Edge Bullets, Custom Cartridge, Inc. , Dakota Ammo (COR-BON/Glaser) , D Dupleks Ltd. , Dynamic Research Technologies (DRT), Federal Cartridge Company , Hornady Mfg. Co, International Cartridge Company, Magtech Ammunition Company, Miwall Corporation , North Fork Bullets, Nosler, Inc. ,P-bar Co., LLC , Remington Arms Co., Inc , Sinterfire, Inc ,Snake River Ammunition , Stars & Stripes Ammunition, Tombob Outdoors, LLC , Weatherby, Inc. ,Winchester Ammunition Non-lead ammo Manufacturers

  21. Hunter compliance is very good, but not yet 100%. • Without full compliance, condors will remain at risk to lead poisoning. • One lead-tainted carcass can poison a flock • Attend upcoming Lead-free shooting event and sight in your rifle with free ammo. • Ft. Hunter Liggett: Friday, August 13th (10am-3pm) • Camp Roberts: Saturday, August 21st (10am-3pm) How can we get better hunter compliance?

  22. Non-lead ammo Rebate Program • Provide hunters a coupon to discount the costs of non-lead ammo. In exchange, ask the hunter to complete a survey form • Provide hunters direct evidence of non-leadammunition killing game • Hire a professional pig hunting guide to lead a hunt anddocument results of non-leadbullets. • If possible, recover bullets from carcasses and/or evaluate dropping power. • Provide this data in a report to Monterey Fish and Game Commission and distribute to hunter Other ways to Increase Compliance…

  23. YES Can condors and hunters coexist?

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