A sick bald eagle has a local wildlife organization reminding fishing and hunting enthusiasts about the use of banned products.
The staff at WILDNorth received the eagle on Tuesday from northern Alberta, however it wasn’t the wildfires that caused the eagle to fall ill.
“He probably consumed lead that was maybe in shot against some waterfowl maybe or lead sinkers or lures from fish,” said Dale Gienow of WILDNorth. “Eagles eat lots of carrion and fish and sometimes they get this, and a very small amount of lead can be their demise.”
X-rays taken originally didn’t show a lead product in the bird which officials said means the eagle has probably been suffering from lead poisoning for quite some time.
“These fluids that we are giving will help with dehydration. The lead does cause them to be dehydrated. He's probably been down for a while because of that as well.”
The organization added that it’s the second eagle they’ve treated for lead poisoning in just a few weeks.
“There's legislation now wrapped around the use of lead products for hunting and fishing, however, many people still have this stuff prior to the legislation and maybe not thinking about that and they're still using the stuff.”
The eagle eventually died from its injuries.
Officials hope the recent case will make people will stop and think about the impact lead products can have when out fishing and hunting.
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson
