Growing awareness of the harms caused by lead (Pb) to wildlife—together with increasing attention to lead across multiple multilateral environmental instruments—led the South African government to establish the Lead Task Team in 2019. This team operates as a subgroup of the National Wildlife Poisoning Prevention Working Group.

Lead is a toxic heavy metal with no biological function, and it is poisonous to all forms of life, including humans. Yet many people remain unaware of the risks it poses to themselves, their children, and our wildlife. Although legacy sources such as leaded fuel are now strictly regulated, lead bullets, shot, and fishing tackle continue to introduce significant amounts of lead into the environment. Consumers of game meat harvested with lead ammunition may also be exposing themselves and their families to unnecessary risk.

Wildlife most affected by lead exposure include scavengers, such as vultures and hornbills, as well as waterbirds. Scavenging and predatory mammals, such as cheetahs and leopards, are now known to be exposed, but many other species have never been tested. The primary source of this contamination is believed to be fragments of spent ammunition left behind in carcasses and gut piles after hunting, harvesting, culling, or predator control. In Nile crocodiles, ingested lead fishing tackle is the main cause, while fish may be affected by polluted waters.

Access to non-lead alternatives remains a challenge in South Africa, complicating efforts to reduce wildlife exposure. The Lead Task Team’s mandate is to help address this by identifying ways to limit lead sources available to wildlife, raising awareness of the issue, and supporting the availability of non-lead alternatives in the country.