Photographer found sick bald eagle in state park. Now officials know what killed it
A sick bald eagle was discovered by a photographer at a state park in Indiana, and wildlife rehabilitators quickly went to work to find out why the bird was ill, Humane Indiana Wildlife said.
When they tested the eagle’s blood, they found a lethal level of lead toxicity in its system.
The eagle’s lead levels were so high, they couldn’t be read during the blood lead analysis, Humane Indiana Wildlife said.
“When levels are far too high to even read an error message, the analyzer reads ’Test Failed.’ The results for this bird indicated a total test failure,” according to the Jan. 30 Facebook post.
Rehabilitators cared for the eagle and started chelation therapy, which is used to treat lead and mercury poisoning, but they were unsuccessful.
“With lead levels as high as they were, and with as poor of body condition as he was in, we were not terribly surprised to find that he had sadly passed away overnight,” the post said.
Commenters on Facebook were saddened to hear the bird had died.
“Heartbreaking, thank you for trying,” one person said.
The photographer who found the bird thanked those who tried to help it.
“My mind just can’t unsee this majestic creature looking at me and slumping over the way he did. I’ve been watching this family for nearly 10 years. Very sad day!” said Jeff Basham, who found the bird Jan. 29 at Potato Creek State Park, according to the post.
Wildlife rehabilitators say that any amount of lead exposure can cause permanent damage to a bald eagle’s health. Some symptoms include “brain swelling, respiratory distress, muscle weakness, dehydration, starvation, kidney damage, liver damage and seizures,” Humane Indiana Wildlife said.
“Lead is often called ’the silent killer,’” the Facebook post said.
Exposures are often unintentional, the post said, and can come from lead ammunition fragments and lead fishing tackle left behind.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources recommends considering a switch to non-lead ammunition. If hunters choose to use lead ammunition, they should dispose of their carcass or gut pile in a safe way.
Non-lead tackle is also recommended by the department.
Potato Creek State Park is 16 miles southwest of South Bend.
This story was originally published February 2, 2024 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Photographer found sick bald eagle in state park. Now officials know what killed it."
