(KIWA Staff Photo)Sioux City, Iowa (RI) — A northwest Iowa wildlife rehabilitation organization has launched an “Eagle Legacy” campaign aimed at encouraging hunters to use lead-free ammunition.
Gretchen Gondeck of the Forever Wildlife Lodge and Clinic in Woodbury County says the effort is focused on helping protect bald eagles and other birds of prey from lead poisoning.
The campaign is a partnership with Save Our Avian Resources (SOAR). Kay Neumann of SOAR says raptors typically hunt live prey but often feed on animal carcasses during the fall and winter months, exposing them to lead fragments from bullets and shot.
Neumann says eagles suffering from lead poisoning can recover if they around found and treated quickly, although rehabilitation often takes several months.
She also says lead fragments can pose risks to humans, noting that X-rays of ground venison intended for food pantries have found fragments in the meat.
A fundraiser to support the wildlife center’s rescue, treatment, and transportation efforts will be held Oct. 17th at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City.
