Pinnacles National Monument will continue its release of
California condors into the wild Oct. 15, when biologists plan to
turn loose three more of the endangered birds.
With the addition of the three birds into the free-flying fray,
Pinnacles would be home to eight wild condors. Though biologists
temporarily captured one of the park’s five free-flying condors
last week because it was making a habit of standing on power poles,
said park ranger Tom Leatherman.
Hollister – Pinnacles National Monument will continue its release of California condors into the wild Oct. 15, when biologists plan to turn loose three more of the endangered birds.
With the addition of the three birds into the free-flying fray, Pinnacles would be home to eight wild condors. Though biologists temporarily captured one of the park’s five free-flying condors last week because it was making a habit of standing on power poles, said park ranger Tom Leatherman.
The upcoming event will resemble the first release that took place in December of last year, according to park officials. Once again, the public is invited, and park rangers will be on hand to answer questions from residents. The park, however, doesn’t expect to see the same crowd from last winter’s release that was estimated at about 500 visitors.
“But we are prepared to be able to handle the same size crowd,” Leatherman said.
Those attending should arrive by 9am, he said, two hours before the scheduled release. People should bring water and food, as there is a one-mile hike to the Grassy Canyon area of the park where visitors will gather. From there, the release pen is about a mile away.
The park will provide some telescopes, but Leatherman encouraged visitors who own either a telescope or binoculars to bring their own.
There are actually four 1-year-old condors in the park’s holding pen, which was built before the first release. They arrived from the Los Angeles Zoo, where they were bred, in March. Of the four, biologists will release only the first three that enter a double-door trap, Leatherman said.
Although considering the last scheduled release, even that isn’t a guarantee. With 500 onlookers eagerly awaiting condor flight in December, none of the birds entered the trap door. And it was a day later when two of the condors actually took flight.
“There’s always a chance the birds won’t come out,” Leatherman said.
California condors have been listed as endangered since 1967, which means it’s protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The condor, killed off mostly from lead poisoning and hunting, hit a low point of 27 during the late 1970s. Restoration efforts that began in the early 1980s have increased the population to about 250.
Kollin Kosmicki covers environmental issues for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331 or kk*******@fr***********.com.
