| Between July 2014 and July 2015, seven turkey vultures, Cathartes aura, were found immobilized in Marin County due to pentobarbital exposure. Sodium pentobarbital is a barbiturate used for veterinary euthanasia. Pentobarbital intoxication has been documented in many scavenging species, most notably golden and bald eagles, presumably from consuming euthanized animals. While clinical data of pentobarbital toxicity to raptors is scarce, incidents of multiple raptors being poisoned from a single large carcass have been reported. In addition, pentobarbital is persistent in tissue and has been detected in carcasses for up to two years. Typically, intoxicated animals are found dead, comatose, or staggering within a short distance of the site of exposure. However, these turkey vultures were found throughout Marin County within 15 miles of each other, and no probable source(s) of exposure could be located. All vultures eventually recovered with supportive care and were released. Given the inability to determine the source(s) of the contaminated carcasses, outreach efforts were made to veterinarians and livestock groups regarding the proper disposal of euthanized carcasses. |