Lead poisoning effects on the reintroduced Bearded Vulture population in the Alps Hans Frey, Alex Llopis and Alexandra Scope
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
1.The reintroduced Bearded Vulture population in the Alps c M. Knollseisen
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 zoos EGS Release sites (National Parcs..) Project coordination : VCF
SYNOPSIS of EEP and RELATED PROJECTS Begin of Bearded Vulture Reintroduction Project in the Alpes 1978 EGS Richard Faust Center headquarter of the breeding program 1986 1 st release NP Hohe Tauern EEP started Bearded Vulture Conservation Foundation created 1st fledgling in the wild Haute Savoie, Phenix 1 st release Andalusia 1 st release Corridor Project 1992 1996 1997 2005 2006 2010 Centro de Cría Guadalentín headquarter of the Andalusia Reintroduction Project Centre de Fauna Vallcalent responsible for the Pyrenean genetic reserve 1 st fledgling in the wild in Andalusia 2015
Recent situation 2015 253 released nestlings (1986-2015) Alps: 29 breeding pairs 147 Fledglings EEP captive stock: 159 birds 38 zoos and 5 breeding centres 461 successfully raised juveniles
Alpine Reintroduction Project 29 Laying pairs Corridor R. Project 110 Laying pairs 2 Laying pairs Andalusia R. P. 1 Laying pair 5 Laying pairs Autochthonous 7 populations: Pyrenees, Corsica and Crete Distribution 2015
final OBJECTIVE 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. 8 Current distribution Historic distribution
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.
2. Lead poisoning cases in situ -Alps
7 cases of acute lead intoxication are documented 3 lethal: Nicola, Doraja II, Sina 4 survived after treatment: Ikarus, Glocknerlady, Lousa, Doraja I
70 80% of foodare bones Production of pellets only sporadically Lead particles not eleminated Hunting wastes (mesentery with fat tissue) frequently contaminated with lead ammunition fragments, Bearded vultures prefer fat tissue
Nicola female, released 1991 (NP HoheTauern), first breeding bird in Carinthia, found dying near Mallnitz(Eastern Tyrol),23 rd 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.
Doraja Female, released 2005 NP Hohe Tauern Collected exhausted 23 rd of December 2005, Hallein observed sitting on roofs a few weeks ago blood : 3,057ppm lead X-ray negativ
Doraja Lead particel found on x- ray of a pellet Succesful treated Loss of many large feathers release postponed 9 th of August 2006 Remains of her body (ring, few bones) found 12 th of May 2013 near Irschen Lead analysis of the bones: 38,9mg/kg
Ikarus male, fledged in Martell valley, Italy, in 2008 reduced activity recaptured 10 th 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
Lousa Female, 2010 Vercors Rescued 1 st 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
Glocklerlady 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 5 th of June 2013
Second release of Glocknerlady
Actual data of Glocknerlady
Sina 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 to 100,04 mg/kg
Resümee 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
3.Lead poisoning cases ex situ (European Endangered Species Programm, EEP)
1978 2015 110 bearded vultures died, post mortem analysis in 104 cases 3 males and 6 females diedbecause of lead intoxication after Mycosis (Aspergillosis) the most important threat for bearded 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)
4. Bearded vultures symptoms of lead intoxications In situ: behaviour (lessactivity, approach of human buildings, roosting on roofs, reduced altitude, reduced flight ability, green faeces) Ex situ: large variability of symptoms: reducedbehaviour, reduced food intake, loss of weight, anaemia, dyspnoe, roosting on the ground, enteritis, green faeces, dirty feathers, athrophy of muscles (pectoralis), reduced visual and accustic ability, myocardic dysfunction.
Reasons for lead intoxications in captivity In 13 cases hunting lead ammunition small shot rabbit, muskrat, padridge, jacketed hollowpointbullet(chemisé point de balle creuse, Teilmantelgeschoß) roe deer, red deer 1 case lead contaminated mud bath (artificial material)
Thankyouforyourattention!