Wildlife

Wild Red Kite Lead Poisoning

Red kites recovered from near-extinction are dying from lead poisoning after scavenging carcasses containing spent lead ammunition.

Key Facts

Red kites were reintroduced to England and Scotland after extinction
Lead poisoning is now a leading cause of adult red kite mortality
Game shoot areas have the highest rates of red kite lead poisoning
Copper ammunition alternatives are widely available and equally effective

Welfare Considerations

Lead-poisoned red kites experience neurological deterioration, loss of coordination, and slow organ failure. Birds may survive weeks in a declining state before death. The preventability of this suffering makes continued use of lead ammunition particularly inexcusable.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory lead ammunition bans in hunting
Support voluntary lead-free zones around red kite population centers
Report sick or dead raptors to wildlife health monitoring programs
Educate hunters in your community about non-toxic ammunition alternatives