The ban on the use of lead ammunition is already in place for hunting in wetlands, and its extension to all types of hunting is planned.
As part of the European LIFE GYPRESCUE programme, a trial of lead-free bullet ammunition is being carried out with 7 volunteer teams hunting wild boar in the mountains.
On 21 December 2024, one of these teams killed a wild boar and left hunting waste in an area of low vegetation, recording the GPS point. Telemetric tracking data (GPS beacons fitted to certain birds) indicate that the lammergeier Sulana spotted the waste that same day, probably thanks to the flights of great crows. It was 10 days later, on 1 January 2025, that Sulana returned and fed on the wild boar bones left by the hunters.
These facts prove that hunting waste in the mountains represents a food resource for bearded vultures and other carrion-eating birds. It also shows the importance of using lead-free ammunition to avoid any risk of poisoning.
