Education: Condor Release in Baja!
Six
California condors were moved to the San Pedro Martír
National Park in Baja California, Mexico, in what
has now become an international conservation effort.
Baja is part of the California condors' original
range, and birds were last sighted in this area
during the mid 1930s.
The first condor chick to hatch in the wild in more than 18 years emerged on April 11, 2002, at a nesting site just north of Los Angeles in the Los Padres National Forest. This event marked a major accomplishment in the California Condor Recovery Program. The last wild condor was brought into captivity in 1987.
These milestones are a great learning opportunity:
• Endangered
species—The California condor very
nearly became extinct—its numbers going
as low as 27 birds. What are some reasons that
animals become endangered? What factors led to
the endangerment of the California condor? What
can people do to help?
• Animal behavior—A careful
study of condor behavior, such as feeding, nesting,
mating, migration, and interaction with their
environment, was necessary to even attempt returning
captive-bred birds to the wild. How would findings
about condor behavior influence a wild release?
• Captive
breeding and care of exotic animals—Not
a simple task! Providing basic needs of food,
water, and shelter is something that zoos have
done for a long time. The real challenge is creating
an environment that makes animals comfortable
enough to want to breed. What do you need to know
about an animal in order to create a comfortable
captive environment? What are some of the captive
environment conditions other than food, water,
and shelter that could make a difference?
• Government—The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the California Department
of Fish and Game, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park have worked
cooperatively in the condor's rescue and return
to the wild. Laws governing endangered species
are instrumental in the effort. Why did these
organizations need to work together? Could any
of them have created and run this program alone?
Why or why not? How does government work with
non-governmental organizations in other ways?
• Careers—The Zoo InternQuest
program at the San Diego Zoo gives selected students
the opportunity to meet with Zoo and Wild Animal
Park professionals. Their journals are posted
on the Zoo
InternQuest blog.
Virtual Interns are able to ask questions of the
experts through e-mail, and the answers gathered
by the Zoo InternQuest team are also posted to
the Web site. Which of these professionals would
be most involved in the condor program? How do
their different skills and experience contribute
to the success of the program? What other zoo
careers
contribute in an indirect way to the success of
the condor program? In what way do they contribute?
Condor resources
Press Releases: Read the latest news about the condors and other conservation projects from the San Diego Zoo.
California Condor Recovery Program: Get the latest numbers, condor program milestones, and more.
California Condor: This comprehensive fact sheet and timeline present basic information about the condor and the recovery program in terms that are suitable for younger readers.
Condor craft: Step-by-step instructions for making a California condor as an elementary school art project.
