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June 18, 2008
Lead Ban in Condor
Country
Goes into Effect July 1st
photo by Daniel Bianchetta
www.bigsurphoto.com
The California
Legislature's ban on lead ammunition in condor country will take
effect July 1st. After that, hunters of big game and varmint
alike are required to use lead-free bullets when hunting
anywhere within the condor's range, including Ventura, Santa
Barbara, Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties.
Lead fragments in "gut-piles" left behind by hunters have been
recognized as a serious threat to the California condor for
decades. Condors feed on dead animals, thus the parts discarded
by hunters provides an abundant food source for the large birds;
however, the lead ammunition that hunters traditionally use
breaks apart into small fragments that the condors consume along
with the dead animal parts. Lead, moreover, is a highly toxic
heavy metal, which impacts the bird's nervous system.
Countless condors died from lead poisoning in the first part of
the 20th century leading up to the near extinction of the
species, and even today condors often have to be captured and
treated for lead poisoning. In the last month in fact, at least
seven condors have been found with lead poisoning, including one
that died during treatment. The others are currently undergoing
treatment at various locations in Southern California.
To read more about this issue, including this recent condor
crisis, please visit our website. Also, to assist in the
transition from lead to non-lead ammo, the California Department
of Fish and Game has provided a list of approved ammunitions at
their website.
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