By LESLIE BISHOP, guest columnist
On a cold December evening last year, the Indiana Raptor Center got an alert from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources about an injured bald eagle beside the road on State Road 135.
With help from Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Jackson, the directors of the center, Laura Edmunds and Patti Reynolds, searched and finally spotted a large, white head among the vegetation along the highway.
The eagle was clearly in distress. They collected the eagle and took him back to the center with the initial diagnosis of a concussion from a vehicle strike.
But instead of recovering, over the next few days, the eagle continued to decline and lose weight. Laura and Patti suspected a culprit that has historically plagued eagles and other raptors: lead poisoning.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]They took the eagle to Hillview Veterinary Clinic in Franklin for an exam and complete blood profile. The results were staggering — the eagle’s blood lead levels were too high to measure.
Chelation therapy with calcium EDTA was started. Chelation works by binding the lead in the blood and forming a compound that can be excreted by the kidneys.
Along with chelation, the eagle required daily intensive care to ensure he got enough fluids and nutrition. All this effort required the extra help of 11 dedicated volunteers.
Even with such intensive care, the eagle continued to lose muscle mass, coordination and vision over a four-month period. Laura, Patti and the volunteers were heartbroken.
When it was clear that the eagle’s organs were failing and he had no chance for recovery, the center made the difficult decision to euthanize him. As is the center’s practice with all fatally ill or injured birds, they euthanized the eagle outside where his last sensations were those of nature.
The eagle’s body and loose feathers were shipped to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Eagle Repository in Denver. This facility is responsible for distributing dead eagles and their feathers to Native Americans enrolled in federally recognized tribes for use in religious ceremonies. Thus, our Brown County eagle will continue to be honored and respected for generations to come.
The care and treatment of lead-poisoned birds is expensive in monetary as well as emotional terms. This one sick eagle cost the center over $2,000 in medicine, food, and daily care — a significant amount to an organization like the center that relies on donations and grants.
The cumulative cost of trying to save lead-poisoned wildlife across the country is thus substantial. For example, the University of Minnesota Raptor Center receives over 100 eagles per year for rehabilitation. Of those, 90 percent have elevated lead levels in their blood.
Like our Brown County eagle, the majority of bald eagles with high lead levels are received in rescue centers between December and February, which coincides with the hunting season.
Eagles are particularly fond of carcasses and gut piles that happen to be contaminated with lead shot. And for every lead-poisoned raptor that is brought into a rescue center, many more animals suffer and die from the lead, either slowly or quickly, in the wild.
I never get over the thrill of seeing a bald eagle soaring above me. It is no wonder that this magnificent bird is a symbol of freedom, strength and vision. Yet, the tragedy of lead poisoning of bald eagles continues.
What can we do for eagles?
Educate ourselves and our communities about the effects of lead ammunition and fishing sinkers.
Explore alternatives to lead ammunition.
And help support the hardworking staff at Indiana Raptor Center with donations (http://indianaraptorcenter.com).
Leslie Bishop is a Brown County resident and retired biology professor from Earlham College. She can be reached through the newspaper at [email protected].
