LOS ANGELES - three California condors found in Northern Arizona and southern Utah died of lead poisoning and three others had toxic levels of lead, in their body which prompted the conservationists to urge hunters to use ammunition non-plomb and carefully dispose of the carcasses of animals which could feast of condors on.
Biologists recently captured and tested 30 endangered birds in the region after a hiker reported seeing a male condor 11 years of age, died in the Grand Canyon, the Peregrine Fund, dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey in the wild, said Tuesday.
Captured birds, two died in addition to the bird found by the hiker, reduction of the overall population condor in the West of 391 to 388, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the recovery of condor.
The other three species of birds were treated and came out in nature.
X-rays show a bird had 18 pellet shotgun in his digestive system, another had six pellets and a third contained the remains of a worn ball, suggesting that the condors died after eating carcasses of animals which had been slaughtered with lead ammunition.
Chris parish, head of the restoration program of the Fund Peregrine condor in Arizona, said lead exposure typically occur during the season of hunting of deer from October to early December. He said, that it is possible that recent exhibitions were the result of the activity of illegal hunting or someone suppress their animal by shooting them with lead bullets.
"Scavengers of exposure potential is as long as the carcass is available," said parish. "We ask people if they will use ammunition lead for these purposes, to remove the carcass".
He said that if the hiker had found no dead condor and pointed out, biologists do would be not tested condors because the lead exposure took place outside of the hunting season and would not have been able to capture, test and treat birds.
Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death among condors, the largest flying bird of lands in North America, weighing up to 26 pounds with a wingspan of about 9 feet. Condors are in captivity and found in the wilds of California, the Arizona-Utah border, and Baja California. They reach maturity at about 6 years and produce only one egg every two years.
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