Wildlife

Wild Vulture Welfare and Lead Poisoning

Vultures perform critical ecosystem services but face severe welfare threats from lead ammunition fragments in carcasses they consume. Non-toxic ammunition prevents widespread vulture poisoning.

Key Facts

Lead fragments from rifle-shot carcasses scatter throughout the edible portion and are ingested by scavenging vultures
Over 30 vulture species globally are threatened with extinction with poisoning as a leading cause of mortality
Copper expanding bullets perform equivalently to lead for hunting while eliminating lead fragment contamination
California condors recovered from near extinction but remain threatened by lead ammunition poisoning in their range

Welfare Considerations

Vulture lead poisoning causes a prolonged, painful death through neurological damage and organ failure. The welfare and conservation case for non-toxic ammunition is compelling because the transition prevents massive suffering across millions of vultures globally at minimal cost to hunters who find copper ammunition performs equally well. Voluntary and regulatory transitions to non-toxic ammunition are both advancing and deserve support.

What You Can Do

Switch to non-toxic copper ammunition for all hunting and encourage other hunters to do the same
Support non-toxic ammunition requirements in areas with threatened vulture and eagle populations
Dispose of hunting gut piles in ways that minimize vulture exposure to lead-shot portions
Donate to vulture conservation organizations working on lead poisoning prevention and population monitoring