Abstract
The Réunion harrier is an endemic raptor on Réunion Island. Several threats endanger its population, poisoning by rodenticides being considered as the main one currently. No information is available on its exposure to other chemicals notably trace metal elements such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd). The Réunion harrier is still a victim of poaching nowadays. When shooting is not lethal, animals may carry embedded shot in their body and thus be exposed to toxic level of Pb as demonstrated for other raptors. Moreover, recent monitoring suggests a decrease of its breeding success over time. It is known that Hg and Cd could impair reproduction and disturb embryo development in birds. The aim is to measure metal concentrations in the tissues of 30 carcasses of harrier collected from 2016 to 2021. Lead was analyzed in the liver and humerus, while Hg and Cd were measured in livers. Concentrations were compared to toxicological reference values. Overall, the Réunion harrier was not exposed to toxic levels of Pb or Cd. For Hg, 53% of the individuals have residues higher than the threshold compatible with oxidative stress, and 13% have liver concentrations above those compatible with reproduction impairment. A positive correlation was found between the proportion of urban habitat in a 55 km2 area centered on the location where the harrier was found and the concentration of Hg in the liver. We conclude that Hg exposure could be a threat for the Réunion harrier population and recommend monitoring the exposure of the most sensitive stages, i.e., embryos and nestlings, to this metal with non-invasive methods.
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Data Availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge La SEOR for coordinating the rescue of the Réunion harriers. We warmly thank the volunteers of the care center and Réunion citizens involved in the wildlife rescue network, who report birds in distress and drive them to the care center or their relay stations (SDIS Réunion, Police Nationale, Gendarmerie Nationale, veterinarians, Kelonia, L′Aquarium de la Réunion, and the PGHM de La Réunion). We are grateful to the LVD974 (Departmental Veterinary Laboratory) of La Réunion who ensured with the SR and JT, all the autopsies, and samples collection and the Saint-André's veterinary clinic for x-rays of all the harriers. We thank Pierrick Ferret from the SEOR for the help in preparing and ship** the samples. We also thank the PEA2t platform of the Chrono-Environnement laboratory who manages the equipment used for the analysis of metals in harrier’s tissues.
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We gratefully acknowledge La DEAL Réunion, EDF, the municipalities of Saint-André, Saint-Denis and Saint-Paul, Le Grand Port Maritime de la Réunion, La SRPP, the Aéroport de la Réunion Roland Garros, the Région Réunion, the CASUD, Albioma, and Cyclea for funding the wildlife care center. This work takes place within a conservation and research program managed by the SEOR (Société d’études Ornithologiques de la Réunion). This research was financially supported by DEAL Réunion and the European Union through FEDER Grants (N° SYNERGIE: RE0027109 and RE0031680).
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S.A. got the funding and managed the project. M.C. and S.A. conceptualized the experiment; S.A., S.R., and J.T. collected the samples; N.C., C.A., V.D., and C.H. prepared and analyzed the samples; C.H. and M.C. analyzed the data; C.H. and M.C. supervised the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.
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Hadjadji, ., Augiron, S., Crini, N. et al. Metals in the Réunion harrier: tissue concentrations and meaning for conservation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 89270–89279 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28748-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28748-7