Blood lead concentration in ravens increased over time, indicating lead accumulation over the moose-hunting season. Finally, we identified the different scavenger species that could potentially be exposed to lead by installing automatic cameras targeting moose gut piles. The source of the lead contamination was also determined using stable isotope analyses. For two consecutive years we quantified the level lead exposure in individuals of a sentinel scavenger species, the common raven (Corvus corax), captured during the moose (Alces alces) hunting season in eastern Quebec, Canada. A potential source of lead poisoning in wild animals, and especially in scavengers, results from the consumption of ammunition residues in the tissues of big game killed by hunters. Lead accumulation can induce severe disorders and alter survival both in mammals (including humans) and in birds. Top predators and scavengers are vulnerable to pollutants, particularly those accumulated along the food chain.
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