Published: 12 Nov 2025 | Last Updated: 12 Nov 2025 09:17:44

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with Namibian and other international institutions, investigating the impact of lead on carnivore species of conservation concern, revealed that lead-contaminated meat is a potentially critical, yet overlooked, pathway of lead poisoning in predators. The findings raise urgent questions about the sustainability of current hunting and management practices and the wider effects it causes.

Lead poisoning is a critical One Health issue, with far-reaching impacts on humans, domestic animals, wildlife and ecosystems. While the effects of lead on avian species are well-documented, its impact on land-based mammals, especially carnivores, remains severely under-researched. Despite bans on lead ammunition in some countries around the world, its use is still widespread in biodiversity hot spots around the globe. This poses a significant threat to conservation efforts, particularly for scavengers and predators at the top of the food chain, which are especially vulnerable to secondary lead poisoning through contaminated prey or carcasses. There are also wider implications for the ecosystem and meat consumed by humans.

Therefore, Dr Catherine Hauw, while studying her Masters at the RVC in conjunction with the Zoological Society of London, alongside Dr. María Díez León, Senior Lecturer in Animal Welfare at the RVC, Dr Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and Dr Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, Director of Animal Health and Research at CCF, set out to address this knowledge gap, researching the impact of feeding lead-shot meat to captive cheetahs in Namibia thanks to the exhaustive biobank established by CCF.

The research was co-supervised by, and performed at, the CCF in Namibia as part of an international collaboration including the national Central Veterinary Laboratory of Namibia and the University of Namibia, the Hokkaido University, and lead experts from New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the USA and Witwatersrand in South Africa.

As the first study of its kind, the researchers assessed lead concentrations on the tibias of carcasses of 62 cheetahs and 11 leopards. The findings revealed that lead was detected in all cheetahs studied, with concentrations increasing the longer they had been kept in captivity and fed meat from animals shot with lead-based ammunition.

The research also found that wild leopards had significantly higher lead concentrations in their tibias than wild cheetahs. This suggests that because leopards are opportunistic scavengers, whereas cheetahs are active hunters, they are more likely to come across and consume carcasses contaminated with lead ammunition residues.

These findings provide vital insights for the veterinary profession, particularly for those working with wildlife and carnivores in sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres. Lead poisoning should be considered as a differential diagnosis when carnivores present with neurological signs, such as tremors, seizures or behavioural changes. In southern Africa, where lead-shot meat is commonly fed to captive predators, veterinarians must be aware that chronic or acute lead toxicity could be an underlying cause as early detection is possible through blood tests and chelation therapy treatment can reduce lead levels.

Incorporating this knowledge into veterinary protocols could significantly improve animal welfare and clinical outcomes. In addition, promoting the importance of non-lead ammunition would further support One Health outcomes.

Dr. Catherine Hauw, lead author of the paper, said:

"Lead poisoning isn’t just a wildlife issue, it’s a One Health crisis. What we feed our animals and what we put into the environment comes back to affect us all. By raising awareness and switching to safer alternatives, we can protect ecosystems, wildlife, and human health at the same time."

Dr. María Díez León, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Animal Welfare at the RVC, said:

“Catherine's research is an example that small studies not only serve to kickstart the careers of the next generation of scientists, they can also have a big impact on wildlife welfare.”

Dr. Janine Sharpe, Veterinarian at the Etosha Ecological Institute and Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in Namibia, said:

“Lead contamination in Namibia from ammunition, lead sinkers, old batteries, and, to a lesser extent, legacy mining activities, poses a significant threat to wildlife, particularly scavengers such as vultures, crocodiles, cheetahs, and leopards. These species often ingest lead through contaminated meat, resulting in neurological and reproductive damage, and in many cases, death.

“Contaminated food sources also jeopardise human health and Namibia’s beautiful yet fragile ecosystems, making this a critical concern under the country’s One Health strategy, which highlights the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human wellbeing.

“Through the Namibia Wildlife Lead (Pb) Working Group, chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism and hosted by the Namibian Chamber of Environment, we aim to promote the adoption of lead-free alternatives within the hunting community, while expanding nationwide monitoring and research efforts. This publication directly supports those efforts.”

Dr. Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, DVM, PhD, Director of Animal Health and Research at Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia, said:

“I am pleased that our CCF biobank has allowed this collaborative project to uncover the hidden threat of lead exposure to cheetahs. This knowledge will not only contribute to improved feeding practices in captive cheetahs, thus bettering their health and that of other captive carnivores, but the data will also support regional and global efforts to reduce lead contamination in the environment.”

Dr Laurie Marker, DPhil, Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia, said:

“At CCF, we’ve always believed in the power of science to drive conservation forward. That’s why we were immediately committed to supporting Catherine’s research. With our biobank of cheetah and leopard bones, built since 1991, we were in a unique position to assist her pioneering work on lead poisoning in apex predators. Her MSc in Wild Animal Health not only breaks new ground in toxicology, but also represents the kind of impactful, solution-driven science we champion. Supporting researchers like Catherine is essential to our mission—combining education, research, and conservation to create lasting change.”

This research was funded by RVC, Atchinson's Trust and Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Notes to Editors

For more information about the RVC’s Wildlife Health research, please visit:  https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/integrated-research-in-livestock-and-food-systems/wildlife-health-group.

For more information about the RVC’s MSc in Wild Animal Health, please visit: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/wild-animal-health

Reference

“Lead Bullet Burden: Widespread lead exposure in wild carnivores and unseen consequences of feeding lead-shot meat to captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)” Hauw C, Marker L, Yabe J, Díez-León M, McCann N, Iiputa G, Jago M, Mukete-Hilundutah E, Nzehengwa T, Banda N, Nakayama SMM, Ishizuka M, Katjavivi U, Ehrlich J, Humphries M, Schmidt-Küntzel A. Journal of Wildlife Disease 2025 Oct;61(4):1038–1049. doi:10.7589/JWD-D-24-00219.

The article can be accessed here: https://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article/61/4/1038/507861/Lead-Bullet-Burden-Widespread-Lead-Exposure-in.

For media enquiries, please contact:

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About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. 
• It is one of the few veterinary schools in the world that hold accreditations from the RCVS in the UK (with associated recognition from the AVBC for Australasia, the VCI for Ireland and the SAVC for South Africa), the EAEVE in the EU, and AVMA in the USA and Canada.
• The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2025. 
• The RVC offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences. 
• The RVC is a research-led institution, with 88% of its research rated as internationally excellent or world class in the Research Excellence Framework 2021. 
• The RVC provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals and first opinion practices in London and Hertfordshire. 

About the Cheetah Conservation Fund:

The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs and is dedicated to saving cheetahs in the wild. CCF has created a set of integrated conservation programs to address threats to the cheetah and its ecosystem. Founded in 1990, CCF is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Namibia with a field base in Somaliland. CCF is the longest running cheetah conservation organization and has restored thousands of acres of Namibian farmland, established a training program to enhance the livelihoods of tens of thousands of rural residents. One of their signature programs is the livestock guarding dog program, where over 800 Anatolian and Kangal guarding dogs have been bred and placed with farmers since 1994 to protect their livestock from predators. The CCFs Research and Education Centre is based on a158,000-acre private wildlife reserve/ conservancy and model farm, veterinary clinic and genetics laboratory. In 2017, CCF set up a field base in Somaliland to care for confiscated cheetah cubs from the illegal wildlife pet trade and have developed programs in the Horn of Africa to help stop the illegal wildlife trade.

Visit www.cheetah.org to learn more about CCF’s work and how you can help protect cheetahs in the wild.