When an ill bald eagle was brought into the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Virginia this month, teams recognized the signs of lead poisoning and ran a blood sample through the clinic’s machine. The levels were too high for the machine’s maximum measurements.

The machine only reads up to 65 micrograms per deciliter. Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) Hospital Director Dr. Jen Riley told FOX Weather birds typically don’t survive when it's that high. After diluting the sample twice and multiplying the result, the team determined this eagle had a blood level of nearly 3,000 micrograms per deciliter.

Less than 24 hours later, despite all the efforts of the veterinary care staff, the bald eagle died of lead poisoning , which had caused its organs to fail. Radiographs confirmed a large amount of

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