title: Linking cases of illegal shootings of the endangered California condor using stable lead isotope analysis.
abstract: Lead poisoning is preventing the recovery of the critically endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and lead isotope analyses have demonstrated that ingestion of spent lead ammunition is the principal source of lead poisoning in condors. Over an 8 month period in 2009, three lead-poisoned condors were independently presented with birdshot embedded in their tissues, evidencing they had been shot. No information connecting these illegal shooting events existed and the timing of the shooting(s) was unknown. Using lead concentration and stable lead isotope analyses of feathers, blood, and recovered birdshot, we observed that: i) lead isotope ratios of embedded shot from all three birds were measurably indistinguishable from each other, suggesting a common source; ii) lead exposure histories re-constructed from feather analysis suggested that the shooting(s) occurred within the same timeframe; and iii) two of the three condors were lead poisoned from a lead source isotopically indistinguishable from the embedded birdshot, implicating ingestion of this type of birdshot as the source of poisoning. One of the condors was subsequently lead poisoned the following year from ingestion of a lead buckshot (blood lead 556 µg/dL), illustrating that ingested shot possess a substantially greater lead poisoning risk compared to embedded shot retained in tissue (blood lead ~20 µg/dL). To our knowledge, this is the first study to use lead isotopes as a tool to retrospectively link wildlife shooting events.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. Electronic address: myraf@ucsc.edu.
authors.forename: Myra E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Zeka E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Kuspa
authors.affiliation: National Park Service, Pinnacles National Park, 5000 Highway 146, Paicines, CA 95043, USA.
authors.forename: Alacia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Ventana Wildlife Society, 19045 Portola Dr. Ste. F-1, Salinas, CA 93908, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D056727:Endangered Species; D005241:Feathers / Q000737:chemistry; D007554:Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D020304:Raptors
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D007854:Lead
keywords: California condor; Endangered species; Lead isotopes; Lead poisoning; Wildlife management