A young California condor from the L.A. Zoo had been flying freely for only three months when he died after ingesting a lead pellet from an air gun.

Lead poisoning poses the single greatest threat to California condors. Even a small amount of lead can be fatal to a condor or other birds, such as vultures and eagles. According to the USFWS, half of the known condor deaths in California between 1992 and 2020 were due to lead poisoning.

The Yurok Tribe of Northern California say that, according to a pathology report, a California condor's cause of death was lead poisoning.