California condors nearly went extinct from lead poisoning through ingestion of spent ammunition. Lead ammunition phase-out is the critical conservation and welfare intervention.
Lead poisoning causes prolonged and agonizing death - affected condors suffer neurological impairment, weakness, and respiratory distress over days to weeks. Intensive monitoring programs catch some poisoned birds for treatment, but treatment itself involves capture and intensive veterinary intervention that causes stress. Many birds die before capture is possible. The source is entirely preventable - hunters switching to non-toxic ammunition would virtually eliminate lead poisoning as a threat. Wildlife managers inject hundreds of hours and significant resources treating lead-poisoned condors, all of which would be unnecessary with ammunition reform.