BAN SOUGHT TO PROTECT CONDORS FROM POISONING.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Hoping to prevent more California condors from dying of lead poisoning lead poisoning or plumbism (plŭm`bĭz'əm), intoxication of the system by organic compounds containing lead. , environmental groups Thursday petitioned the state to ban lead ammunition in hunting. The groups said nonlead ammunition is now widely available and they want lead bullets and shot phased out statewide. They want the rules adopted as soon as possible in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , where zoologists have been trying to introduce the birds back into the wild. Condors can suffer lead poisoning after feeding on animals killed by lead ammunition. Unlike many other birds, condors don't regurgitate re·gur·gi·tate v. 1. To rush or surge back. 2. To cause to pour back, especially to cast up partially digested food. re·gur and the lead fragments stay longer in their bodies. Roughly 35 percent of released condors suffered acute lead poisoning, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a 2001 survey. Since 1997, five condors have died and 33 others have needed blood treatment after eating carcasses laced with lead. ``We've worked hard to bring these birds back from the brink Back from the Brink can refer to:
However, some condor-recovery experts have urged education rather than a lead ban. The state and gun groups have launched an effort to teach hunters about risks of lead ammunition so they'll remove killed animals or guts with bullet fragments from the field or switch ammunition voluntarily. ``If it's going to be done, it's got to be done in a way that doesn't create bad feelings or lack of trust among hunters,'' said Ron Jurek, a wildlife biologist ''' The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. A wildlife biologist is someone who studies wild animals and their habitats. with the California Department of Fish and Game. ``There's a lot of work that needs to be done to get hunters to accept the alternatives and to get manufacturers to make them more available.'' And after a rough start, condor recovery appears to be improving, Jurek said. No condor released into the wild has died in the past 14 months. There are now 114 condors in the wild, 57 of those in California. Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com |
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