ScienceDaily reports that Condor #245, one of only 300 remaining condors in the world, has died while undergoing lead poisoning treatment at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Tests at the LA Zoo showed that the condor, first trapped at the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge late last month, had blood lead levels ten times that of the minimum amount needed to require lead poisoning treatment in condors. The condor's high blood lead levels are thought to have been caused by ingestion of lead fragments.

Glenn Olson, Executive Director of Audubon California, urged the California Fish and Game Commission to ban usage of lead ammunition in condor territory. More than 45 prominent wildlife biologists recently signed a "Statement of Scientific Agreement" that pointed towards lead bullets as threatening the survival of California Condors in the wild.

"The sooner the Fish and Game Commission acts, the sooner we can remove this toxic and deadly substance from the condors' environment," said Gary Langham, Ph.D, director of bird conservation, Audubon California. "The death of Condor #245 underscores the need for rapid action and the clear and present danger that environmental lead presents."

The California Fish and Game Commission will be considering a ban on the use of lead bullets for big game hunting during a special session on August 27.