When wind picks up at the Pinnacles National Monument, the
park
’s six California condors in captivity often swoop through the
pen from one end to the other.
When wind picks up at the Pinnacles National Monument, the park’s six California condors in captivity often swoop through the pen from one end to the other.
That’s a sure sign – they’re ready to fly, according to Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon.
“Boy, it’s been a long time coming. We can’t wait,” Muldoon said.
After a three-month stay in the park’s cautiously crafted pen, the condors were scheduled to be released today.
The project, to help national efforts to restore the endangered species’ population, has been under way since 1999. It will be the first ever condor release at Pinnacles in southern San Benito County, according to the project’s lead biologist, Rebecca Leonard.
Two biologists and an intern have been responsible for the care of the condors since September, according to Leonard.
The condors’ presence at Pinnacles dates back to the late 1800s, about the same time the worldwide population began its steep decline. The number hit a low point of 27 in the 1970s, largely desimated by lead poisoning. Through restoration efforts, it is now around 220.
Once the condors are released, Muldoon said she hopes they adopt the park as their permanent homes. But there’s no guarantee, as many condors in other release programs have traveled to Southern California and remained permanently. The birds can travel 150-200 miles a day in search of dead carcasses.
“Our hope is they get out there and take a look at those rocks (the formations),” she said.
The California condor is on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s official list of endangered species, which means it is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The scavenger species – the largest bird in North America – has been on the endangered species list since 1967. The California condor populations reportedly began declining in the 1890s, with much of the decrease attributed to hunting and lead poisoning caused by ingestion of ammunition.
The worldwide population hit a low point of 27 condors during the late 1970s. Species conservation efforts, similar to the upcoming reintroduction at Pinnacles, have been underway since the early 1980s, and as of Aug. 3, the worldwide population had reached 223, according to Pinnacles Education Specialist Carl Brenner.
The Ventana Wilderness Society has been releasing the condors in Big Sur since 1997. Anyone interested in the program should call Pinnacles at (831) 389-4485, ext. 230 or go to www.nps.gov/pinn
