Local Wildlife Center Helps Rehab Birds with Lead Poisoning

I have always been a fan of birds of prey. I love owls and hawks. I have even been known to like a vulture or two. I find them both creepy and fascinating. I also am a big fan of the crow and raven. All of these birds can be found in and around the Hudson Valley. Lately, you can even spot an eagle easily if you head to the right spots.

Bird fan or not I am sure it would sadden you to find out that a lot of these birds along with some of the other wildlife we enjoy watching in the woods near our homes are falling prey to a poisonous material. We have all heard the stories about what lead can do to people so imagine what it can do to wildlife.

The point of this article is not to take a side but to inform. Apparently, one of the ways these animals are being exposed to lead is through lead bullets. Fishing weight are another culprit. The lead that we inadvertently leave laying around in the woods and in roadways is being ingested by the animals.

I was following a story on the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center (FFFWC) Facebook page which resulted in me having the opportunity to speak with Missy from the center. We actually spoke for an interview for IN Touch, the public affairs and issues program that runs on Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley Radio Stations.

I learned a lot from Missy about how animals come in contact with lead and sadly sometimes it is because we have good intentions. She explained that lead bullets can leave fragments which when ingested by a bird or even a coyote can cause them to develop health issues which then leads to other things often causing the animal end up injured or even dead.

To learn more take a moment to read this article from the Delaware - Otsego Audubon Society discussing lead vs. Non-Lad bullets. You can also find out more by following the FFFWC online and on Facebook.