Sacramento - A consortium of scientists announced Wednesday that lead ammunition has been determined as the main course of lead poisoning in the wild California condor population.
At the Protect the Condor Conference in Sacramento, 44 scientists called for a ban on use of lead bullets in the California condor range, which includes San Benito County.
Dr. Don Smith, chairman of the department of toxicology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said the isotopes found in lead bullet samples in California and in the blood of condors were significantly similar. Blood collected from the California condors before and after the birds' release showed increased lead levels, Smith said.
Lead poisoning has resulted in the deaths of at least 10 California condors, according to the Ventana Wildlife Society.
Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society, said eliminating lead ammunition use is key to the California condor's survival.
"Though they're flying free in the wild, they're not really living free in the wild," Sorenson said.
Staff Report
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