Paicines
– Pinnacles National Monument suffered the first death of an
endangered California condor Saturday.
Paicines – Pinnacles National Monument suffered the first death of an endangered California condor Saturday.
Park biologists successfully released three 1-year-old California condors in the past two weeks, but found the body of California condor 417 in a field just outside the monument Saturday afternoon. Officials have found no cause for the bird’s death, and have sent its remains to an Ashland, Ore., forensic laboratory for further examination.
“We can throw out numerous possibilities,” said Carl Brenner, the park’s public information officer. “But it’s all speculation at this point.”
Test results are expected back within three weeks, Park Superintendent Eric Brunnemann said.
Park officials monitored the California condor from its release May 3 until its death Saturday. Brunnemann said the bird was behaving well and showed no signs of stress.
Although it is the park’s first death, programs in other California condor habitats have experienced losses, Brunnemann said.
Two of the six birds released by the Ventana Wildlife Society in Big Sur died in 2006.
Heat and lack of preparedness contributed to the deaths, Brunnemann said.
However, California condor 417 was strong and ready to fly, the superintendent said.
Park staff hope the death will help biologists better understand the species.
“Being part of a larger release program, all of (the forensic laboratory’s findings) will be shared with the other sites,” Brenner said.
There are now 14 condors living in the wild at Pinnacles National Monument, with two expected to be released in the next two to three weeks, Brunnemann said.
“They’re also looking healthy and ready to fly,” he said.
After Saturday’s death, there are 135 California condors living in the wild and another 145 in captivity.
Park biologist Jim Petterson told the Free Lance at the monument’s public release of the condors in April that the program hopes to have two wild populations of 150 birds each.
The program was started in the 1980s when the California condor nearly became extinct. In 1987, federal biologists captured the remaining 22 California condors and began the rehabilitation program.
Pinnacles National Monument has been releasing the birds since 2003.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or
mv*********@fr***********.com
.
