Golden Eagle 18-019
On Tuesday, a Golden Eagle was found near Baker City displaying classic signs of lead poisoning. She was sitting on a pile of coyote carcasses, on her hocks with her feet clenched, unable to stand. The coyotes had been trapped, shot, skinned and their carcasses discarded. The eagle found the carcasses and was poisoned by the lead in their bodies. She had been unable to walk properly long enough for pressure sores to form on the tops of her clenched toes.
Her lead level was 142 micrograms/deciliter, seven times the level considered toxic in raptors. Chelation therapy was started immediately, but we were not able to beat the lead. She died early Sunday morning.
It is legal to use lead ammunition in Oregon and Washington, but we know lead is toxic. If you shot coyotes, ground squirrels or big game like deer and elk with lead ammunition, please dispose of the carcasses or gut piles in such a manner that raptors or other scavengers cannot access them. Another option is to consider hunting with non-lead ammunition
Red-tailed Hawk 18-020
A Red-tailed Hawk was found on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He was thought to have struck a power line. The damage to his left wing was too extensive to repair.
Barn Owl 18-021
A Barn Owl was found along a road near Yakima, WA. She was likely hit by a car. Her wing was also damaged too badly to be repaired.
Bald Eagle 18-006 Update
The juvenile Bald Eagle that we have been treating for lead toxicity for a month continues to very slowly improve. She is now able to eat several small bites of food once or twice a day without regurgitating. Her lead level was more than five times higher than the Golden Eagle who died. We don’t know for certain why the two eagles responded to treatment so differently, but suspect it has to do with the way in which they were exposed to lead, chronically for the Golden Eagle, smaller amounts of lead over a period of time, verses acute for the Bald Eagle, a large amount of lead that made her sick very quickly. Undoubtedly, there are other factors as well.
Bald Eagle 18-016 Update
Ten days after Dr. Yackley repaired the eagle’s broken leg we removed the bandage from his foot. He still does not want to bear much weight on the injured leg, but he is now able to extend the toes of his right foot normally.
