Wyoming - Save the Eagle & Protect Them from Lead Poisoning

Please sign and share this petition in an effort to ask the Wyoming government along with Fish and Wildlife to make changes that bans hunters from using bullets made of lead.  What is happening is that the eagles are in peril of lead poisoning when they scavenge for prey that has been laced with lead from the bullets. We cannot take a chance in putting the majestic, beautiful eagle in danger of extinction because of the hunting laws.  They need to be changed to protect all animals that prey on hunted bullet-riddled carrion.

In Jackson, Wyoming, many eagles are discovered in poor condition due to scavenging on bullet-riddled carrion.  When caring for another recent eagle victim of lead poisoning, the veterinarian stated that this was the third eagle in just over a month to arrive in such a feeble state because of poisoning.  The problem is that during Wyoming's big game hunting season, virtually all eagles have lead in their system from scavenging bullet-riddled carrion. A half dozen or so lead-poisoned ones make it to the rehab center every year, but no one knows how many die unseen in the backcountry.

This is a continual occurrence and too frequent, putting the eagle endangered list.  Veterinarian Warren who oversees many of the injured and severely ailing eagles has concerns regarding hunting practices and the survival of these birds.America's national bird is a frequent sight in this rugged landscape in the shadow of the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. An estimated 200 nesting pairs make Wyoming their home, with even more migrating through. Every fall and winter, eagles converge here to take advantage of a feeding bonanza: the piles of entrails and other offal left behind by deer, elk, and antelope hunters.

When eagles feed on carrion, lead fragments usually pass quickly through their digestive system, but toxic levels of the metal circulate for days or longer in the bloodstream before diffusing into soft tissues, including the liver, kidney, and brain. There, lead can remain for weeks and months before migrating into bone.   Even if the lead doesn't reach lethal levels, it can make eagles very sick. Lead impairs their brains and nervous systems, just as it can in humans. Besides paralyzing legs and wings, the neurotoxicant can disrupt stomach and intestinal contractions and suppress breathing. So while the chelating agent is working to remove the lead, enriched oxygen and other supportive care helps the eagle survive long enough to recover. 

Nearly every eagle that is rescued in poor condition is suffering from lead-poisoning with typical symptoms of rounded shoulders and wings that drooped under its own weight. Who knows how many of these birds lose their lives in the wild without our knowledge or that of the game wardens and forestry departments.  We need to ask the government to implement new laws that bans hunters from using high-based lead bullets. 

Please sign and share this petition in an effort to ask the Wyoming government along with Fish and Wildlife to make changes that bans hunters from using bullets made of lead.  What is happening is that the eagles are in peril of lead poisoning when they scavenge for prey that has been laced with lead from the bullets. We cannot take a chance in putting the majestic, beautiful eagle in danger of extinction because of the hunting laws.  They need to be changed to protect all animals that prey on hunted bullet-riddled carrion.