Wildlife center admits 43rd bald eagle patient this year

Published October 27, 2017

Hunters using lead ammunition are posing real harm to bald eagles.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia has admitted its 43rd bald eagle patient of the year, a grim record for single-year admissions during the center's 35-year history.

Officials say nearly 70 percent of the eagles admitted had measurable amounts of lead in their blood. Six had lead levels too high for the center's in-house lead analyzer to measure.

Bald eagles can ingest small fragments of lead ammunition as they scavenge deer carcasses or other animals that have been shot. A lead fragment the size of a grain of rice can kill a bald eagle.

The center has been encouraging hunters to stop using lead-based ammunition.

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