Osprey #17-0622 update

After Osprey #17-0622 completed its first round of lead treatment on May 1, the staff decided to move the bird outside to see if more space and natural sounds would help stimulate the bird's appetite. The osprey did begin eating fish intermittently, though the staff still relied on gavage-feeding a specialized diet to maintain the bird's weight.

An additional lead test on May 6 revealed that the bird's lead levels increased again to a level of 0.35 ppm; because lead can be absorbed into a raptor's bones, levels can increase even after treatment as the lead is leached back out into the bird's system. A second course of chelation therapy was started, and the bird was moved back inside for the twice daily treatments.