More than a dozen bald eagles accidentally poisoned

More than a dozen dead or dying bald eagles were found near a landfill in Inver Grove Heights, suspected victims of poisoning by eating carcasses of animals that were chemically euthanized [with pentobarbital] and dumped at the landfill, according to wildlife officials.

Hall was unable to say what kind of carcasses were brought to the landfill. But she said animals that have been chemically euthanized are supposed to be disposed of in a manner so that other animals can't scavenge on them.

This serves as a reminder that our national symbol is in fact a large-bodied scavenger that often resorts to feeding on garbage.  What surprises me is that the concentration of pentobarbital in the animal carcass was high enough to be lethal to a scavenger.  Those must be massive doses that are injected - or perhaps eagles seek out bloodier organs like spleens (?).

Sort of related: Loon-on-eagle haliacide.