Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005
On Saturday, September 17th, nearly 400 onlookers gathered to watch three young California condors take flight over Pinnacles National Monument. This was the third release of condors at the monument since 2003.
Shortly after 10 a.m., condors #330, 332, and 340 left the release facility to begin their new lives as free-flying condors. They spent a few minutes on the ground before making short flights around the ridge top near the flight pen that had been their home for the last few months. They were joined by 313, one of the condors released in October 2004, soon after they left the flight pen.
The released birds were between 16 and18 months old and were hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo (332), the San Diego Wild Animal Park (330), and the Oregon Zoo (340). Condor #340 is the Oregon Zoo’s first ever captive-bred condor.
Four more California condors will be released over the next two weeks, joining six others that have been flying free since October 2004. Project biologists anticipate releasing up to 30 condors at Pinnacles, historic breeding ground for the massive birds, over the next several years. The reintroduction of California condors to Pinnacles National Monument is a cooperative effort between the Ventana Wilderness Society and the National Park Service in partnership with the California Condor Recovery Team.
In addition to Pinnacles NM and Ventana Wilderness staff, special thanks go to parks and agencies and businesses that offered assistance during the event – Death Valley NP, Point Reyes NS, San Francisco Maritime NHP, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Game, and MV Transportation. |
