| Necropsies of several wild California condors indicated that they died from lead poisoning due to ingestion of lead from bullet fragments in carcasses of abandoned game animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of alternative, non-lead based ballistic materials on a surrogate species, the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), by feeding them metal pellets made, either of pure copper, or a metal composite consisting of tungsten distributed in a matrix of tin-bismuth (TTC). No discernible toxic effects were noted in birds fed with either copper or TTC relative to non metal exposed controls.; It is concluded that copper and TTC can provide a non-toxic alternative to lead based munitions and that the adoption of these materials would reduce lead poisoning in animal scavengers. Most importantly, this conversion would improve the chances for the successful recovery of the California condor population by preventing lead poisoning of released captive bred condors. |
