California condors were nearly destroyed by lead poisoning from hunting ammunition and continue to require intensive management to prevent ongoing lead exposure.
Condors suffering lead poisoning experience neurological damage, paralysis, and organ failure as lead accumulates from eating gut piles left by hunters. Treatment requires capture, chelation therapy, and supportive care causing significant welfare burden from repeated handling. Animals with very high lead levels require extended captive care. Condors are social birds with cognitive complexity; repeated capture for blood testing causes acute stress. The ongoing management burden on wild condors reflects the continued failure to fully adopt lead-free ammunition across their range.