Hans Frey, Alex Llopis and Alexandra Scope
Lead poisoning effects on the reintroduced
Bearded Vulture population in the Alps
International symposium on lead poisoning,28 September, Annecy
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� 1.The reintroduced Bearded Vulture population in the Alps
� 2. Lead poisoning cases in situ - Alps
� 3. Lead poisoning cases ex situ (European Endangered Species Program (EEP) for the Bearded Vulture)
� 4. Bearded Vulture -symptoms of lead poisoning
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� 1.The reintroduced Bearded Vulture population in the Alps
c M. Knollseisen
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� Start 1978 Morges (Switzerland) � Goals:
Establishment of a breeding network (zoos, breeding centres)� In situ project (Alps)� Development of a standard example for a reintroduction
project� Main financial support:
Frankfurt Zoological Society WWF European zoosEGSRelease sites (National Parcs …..)
� Project coordination : VCF
Begin of Bearded Vulture Reintroduction Project in the Alpes
1978 EGS Richard Faust Center headquarter of the breeding program
1996Centro de Cría Guadalentín
headquarter of the Andalusia Reintroduction Project
19971st fledgling in the wild Haute Savoie, ‘Phenix’
20061st release Andalusia
SYNOPSIS of EEP and RELATED PROJECTS
20101st release Corridor Project
20151st fledgling in the wild in Andalusia
2005Centre de Fauna Vallcalent
responsible for the Pyrenean genetic reserve
19861st release NP Hohe Tauern EEP started
1992Bearded Vulture Conservation Foundation created
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� 253 released nestlings (1986-2015)
� Alps: 29 breeding pairs147 Fledglings
� EEP captive stock: 159 birds
� 38 zoos and 5 breeding centres
� 461 successfully raisedjuveniles
Recent situation 2015
7
110 Laying pairs
29 Laying pairs
2 Laying pairs
5 Laying pairs
Andalusia R. P.
Alpine Reintroduction Project
Distribution 2015
1 Laying pair
Corridor R. Project
Autochthonous populations: Pyrenees, Corsica and Crete
8Current distribution
Historic distribution
���� The final aim is to establish an European Meta-Population
���� Re-establish the historical gene flow between North Africa and Asia through the autochthonous and reintroduced European Bearded Vulture populations.
final OBJECTIVE
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� An estimation of the Alpine population size is 250 birds� Any food supply is stopped after emancipation. � All released birds are depending exclusively on the natural food
resources in the Alps (mainly wild and domestic ruminants, marmots).
� Therefore the reintroduced Alpine population is exposed to all the possible threats connected with the consummation of “natural” carcasses.
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
•2. Lead poisoning cases in situ - Alps
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� 7 cases of acute lead intoxication are documented
� 3 lethal:
Nicola, Doraja II, Sina
� 4 survived after treatment:
Ikarus, Glocknerlady, Lousa, Doraja I
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
•70 – 80% of food are bones
•Production of pellets onlysporadically•Lead particles not eleminated
•Hunting wastes (mesenterywith fat tissue) frequentlycontaminated with leadammunition fragments,
•Bearded vultures prefer fattissue
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� female, released 1991 (NP HoheTauern), � first breeding bird in Carinthia,� found dying near Mallnitz (Eastern Tyrol),23rd of
January 2012. � post mortem analysis:
two times injured with small shot in the past weight only 4,7kg Lead levels: liver 25,882 mg/kg
kidney 32,16mg/kg
She was a famous and very well known bird monitored all the time in her territory near the “Großglockner”.
Nicola
Doraja
� Female, released 2005 NP HoheTauern
� Collected exhausted 23rd of December 2005, Hallein
� observed sitting on roofs a few weeks ago
� blood : 3,057ppm lead
� X-ray negativ
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� Lead particel found on x-ray of a pellet
� Succesful treated� Loss of many large feathers� release postponed 9th of
August 2006� Remains of her body (ring,
few bones) found 12th of May 2013 near Irschen
� Lead analysis of the bones: 38,9mg/kg
Doraja
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� male, fledged in Martell valley, Italy, in 2008
� reduced activity
� recaptured 10th of November 2009
� 4,75ppm of lead found in his blood
� released 20th of June 09 in Martell valley
� reduced activity, approaching human buildings
� recaptured and died during treatment in December 2009
Ikarus
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� Female, 2010 Vercors� Rescued 1st of October 2012,
Vorarlberg, Austria, in very bad condition
� acute lead intoxication and trauma of the head
� Survived but could not be released any more
� difficulties to keep balance, cannot fly
Lousa
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� female, released in NP HoheTauern in 2012
� reduced flight ability activity, loss of height
� end of October 2012 recaptured in Celje, Slovenia
� very weak condition
� lead value in blood: 656,4 µg/dl
� loss of many large feathers
� released 5th of June 2013
Glocklerlady
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� released 1997, Engadin NP
� found dead on the 27th of May 2008, Samnaun,
� p.m. analysis: 5,4kg, old gun shot injuries, 6 fragments,
� lead analysis: feather 0,31mg/kg, blood 3,9 µg/dl, bones up to100,04 mg/kg
Sina
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� All seven proved cases in the Eastern part of the Alps.
“Ikarus” and “Sina” in Switzerland, all the other cases in Austria.
Possible reasons: different hunting practices - feeding sites to shoot foxes, hunting wastes are left in the area, only trophy taken in most remote areas
Lead poisoning is an important threat for bearded vultures, at least in Austria and could be the explanation for the slow development of a breeding nucleus, losses of partners of territorial pairs during winter repeated documented
Resümee
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
�3.Lead poisoning cases ex situ (European Endangered Species Programm, EEP)
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� 1978 – 2015
110 bearded vultures died, post mortem analysis in 104 cases
� 3 males and 6 females died because of lead intoxication
� after Mycosis (Aspergillosis) the most important threat forbearded vultures in the EEP
� 4 males and 1 female suffered from acute lead intoxication but survived after treatment (values between 299ug/l and 875ug/l)
� 2 males treated immediately successfully after offering parts of a shot roe deer (positive x-ray control)
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� In situ: behaviour (less activity, approach of human buildings, roosting on roofs, reduced altitude, reduced flight ability, greenfaeces)
� Ex situ: large variability of symptoms:
reduced behaviour, reduced food intake, loss of weight, anaemia, dyspnoe, roosting on the ground, enteritis, green faeces, dirtyfeathers, athrophy of muscles (pectoralis) , reduced visual andaccustic ability, myocardic dysfunction.
4. Bearded vultures – symptoms of leadintoxications
International symposium on lead poisoning,
28 September, Annecy
� In 13 cases hunting lead ammunition
small shot – rabbit, musk rat, padridge,
jacketed hollow point bullet (chemisé point de balle creuse, Teilmantelgeschoß) – roe deer, red deer
� 1 case lead contaminated mud
bath (artificial material)
Reasons for lead intoxications in captivity
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