In 1986, there wasn’t a single California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) left in the wild. Thankfully, it wasn’t because the birds of prey had gone extinct, but they were getting close. In the 1980s, there were fewer than two dozen condors remaining in the wild. That’s why the United States Fish and Wildlife Service moved them into a captive breeding and release program.
Now, the Northern California Condor Restoration Program has released seven young condors into the wild in Yurok Country, close to the Oregon border, according to a statement emailed to Popular Science. One of the birds is particularly special—the condor represents the 200th California condor hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to be released into the wild. In total, the safari park has hatched 291 condors since 1982.
Read Full Article: https://www.popsci.com/environment/condors-released-california/
