Bald eagles recovered from DDT-driven near-extinction to robust populations, but continue to suffer significant mortality from lead poisoning through ingesting bullet fragments in hunter-killed carcasses and gut piles.
Eagles suffering lead poisoning experience progressive neurological dysfunction - loss of coordination, inability to fly, and disorientation - before coma and death. Rehabilitation from lead poisoning is possible with chelation therapy, but requires wildlife rehabilitator intervention before neurological damage is too severe. The preventability of this welfare harm makes it particularly important to address: the switch from lead to non-toxic ammunition by hunters eliminates the poisoning pathway entirely. Hunters who understand the welfare cost of lead fragments in the environment have shown increasing adoption of non-toxic alternatives.