{"id":6134,"date":"2017-03-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/bearded-vultures-and-lead-poisoning-the-c%c3%a9vennes-national-park-france-is-promoting-lead-free-hunting-practices\/"},"modified":"2017-03-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-11T00:00:00","slug":"bearded-vultures-and-lead-poisoning-the-c%c3%a9vennes-national-park-france-is-promoting-lead-free-hunting-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/pt\/blog\/bearded-vultures-and-lead-poisoning-the-c%c3%a9vennes-national-park-france-is-promoting-lead-free-hunting-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Bearded vultures and lead poisoning \u2013 The C\u00e9vennes National Park (France) is promoting lead-free hunting practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lead (Pb) is a metabolic poison that can negatively influence biological processes, leading to illness and mortality across a large spectrum of bird species, including vultures. Lead poisoning can result from numerous sources, including ingestion of bullet fragments and shot pellets left in animal carcasses, spent ammunition left in the field, lost fishing tackle, lead-based paints, large-scale mining, and lead smelting activities.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of evidence on lead being a significant threat to vultures, usually after these scavengers eat carcasses with lead bullet fragments. Lead is indeed the most significant factor impacting on the reintroduction of the Californian condor, and is also probably one of the main causes of mortality for the bearded vultures in the alps \u2013 without any specific sampling programme we know that at least 6 of the 204 birds so far released in the Alps-Grands Causses (3%) have been poisoned with lead. Probably this figure is much higher, and lead poisoning may have a population-level effect on this species in some parts of the Alps.<\/p>\n

It is then heartening to see some good initiatives happening across the region on this issue. A few weeks ago, we announced the initiative by National Park Hohe Tauern (Austria)<\/a> promoting the change to lead-free hunting in that protected area. We are delighted now to announce similar initiatives in the C\u00e9vennes National Park, within the framework of the Life Gypconnect project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yesterday an information meetings for hunters was organised in Florac by the C\u00e9vennes National Park, in close collaboration with the local hunters (D\u00e9partment Loz\u00e8re) and a ballistics expert, where the voluntary use of non-lead ammunition was promoted. A similar meeting will take place on the 24th in Meyrueis.<\/p>\n

These meetings followed a questionnaire sent to hunters, and aim to address any technical aspects and to answer questions, particularly concerning ballistics. The aim is to identify in these meetings volunteer hunters that will then test non-lead ammunition for the next two seasons.<\/p>\n

Led by the League pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), in partnership with the VCF, Vautours en Baronnies,\u00a0 Centre National d’ Informations Toxicologiques V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaires, Electricit\u00e9 R\u00e9seau Distribution France, Parc National des C\u00e9vennes, Parc Naturel R\u00e9gional du Vercors, LPO Aude, and the Universit\u00e9 Pierre et Marie Curie \u2013 Paris 6, the LIFE GYPCONNECT<\/a> project aims to establish a breeding population of bearded vultures in the Massif Central, as well as in the Pre-Alps, through reintroduction, and promoting dispersal movements between the Alps and the Pyrenean populations. Last year 4 young bearded vultures were released in the project area, two in the Grands Causses and two in Baronnies \u2013 the first time that bearded vultures will be released in the latter region. This year at least 4 more birds will be released in the region.<\/p>\n

Photo: Bruno Berth\u00e9my-VCF<\/p>\n