Bald Eagle Battles Lead Poisoning, Public Can Help Limit Exposure

Representatives at the Wild Heart Ranch say lead has the biggest impact on bald eagles, so it's up to the public to help lower their exposure to it.

On Thursday, a female bald eagle named Jay was found laying in a field near death with lead poisoning in Jay, Oklahoma.

To keep her stress level down, our camera couldn't get too close.

"Eagles are highly sensitive to lead. It only takes one part per million to kill an eagle,” explained ranch director Annette King. “We believe that she has ingested lead and it's in her blood stream and she's very sick from that."

King says eagles can get lead poisoning by eating fish with a hung lead sinker in them, or from the carcass of an animal that's' been killed with lead ammunition.

"Statistically, it's a huge problem when 50 percent of the eagles come in with an issue this is a tremendous problem," said King.

Jay is being treated at the ranch and the Tulsa zoo, but her future is grim.

King says she's never treated an eagle for lead poisoning and it survive.

While there's not much eagles can do to avoid lead, the public can do something.

"What we would like to ask is that hunters and fisherman look for lead-free alternatives to lead sinkers and lead gunshot,” said King. “If we do that then we can eliminate the problem."

She realizes non-lead based ammunition can get expensive. An alternative would be to use a handheld metal detector and remove the lead ammunition from a kill before leaving it behind.

There has been some improvement in Jay's condition, but she's still at risk.

"Eagles are tough birds and they will fight," stated King.

The bald eagles’ blood test results should be back next week, but the veterinarian says the bird is still in critical condition.

Click the following link to keep track of Jay progress: Wild Heart Ranch