BOYCE, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center says an adult bald eagle was brought into their center after someone notice it wasn’t able to fly well.

In a social media post, the center said “on exam, this bird was relatively quiet but presented with no palpable or observable injury aside from some superficial foot wounds. The underlying culprit? A blood lead level of 49. There is no “safe” level of lead to have in the body, and lead poisoning wreaks havoc internally, causing neurologic issues, seizures, delayed reaction time, organ failure, gastrointestinal issues, and even death. We suspect this bird’s quiet demeanor is a direct result of lead poisoning and have begun chelation to remove the toxic metal from this bird’s body.”

This time of year, the center often sees an increase in lead-poisoned scavengers as it coincides with deer hunting season. What’s the connection? Unfortunately, many hunters aren’t aware that hunting with lead ammunition can leave tiny fragments up to 18″ from the wound channel. These tiny fragments are often then left in gut piles left behind, where scavengers like eagles, vultures, opossums, and many others take advantage of a free meal. It only takes a lead fragment the size of a grain of rice to poison and kill an eagle.

How can you help? If you’re a hunter, you can make a difference – make the switch to non-lead ammunition. Be aware that hunting with lead not only impacts the wildlife and environment around you, but you and your family who are consuming lead-contaminated meat. The center receives donations of venison from hunters year-round and radiograph all of it and have found that some deer shot with non-lead ammo or arrows can still have old lead shot from previous hunting attempts.