The Pinnacles National Monument condor reintroduction has given
us a front-row seat to one of the most astonishing environmental
achievements in modern times.
The Pinnacles National Monument condor reintroduction has given us a front-row seat to one of the most astonishing environmental achievements in modern times.
But in May, it again reminded us that those piecemeal victories along the way, while uplifting, are mere steps on a treacherous hike.
Until biologists pinpoint a cause for the park’s first and second condor deaths since the local reintroduction program started in 2003, we can only speculate over their causes, wonder whether the continued use by hunters of lead bullets killed either of our own and continue pushing for stronger regulations against unnecessary practices.
State leaders can take a major step toward reversing this trend, as the Fish and Game Commission anticipates a possible late August decision on a ban against using lead bullets in the condor range, including in San Benito County.
It’s the most sensible of four alternatives under consideration that include banning lead bullets statewide, banning them in the historic condor range or taking no action.
We urge the commission to approve the ban in the condor range, potentially taking effect next July.
At Pinnacles, rangers found one of the park’s condors dead May 12. A second one was found dead, near a power line in Big Sur, six days later. Whether lead caused either of the deaths, their peril should come as no surprise. If anything, it’s an opportunity to underscore what we know, and to continue pushing state leaders to take steps toward protecting what has become a shining conservation symbol in San Benito County, California and worldwide.
Just last summer, the program here saw the potential threat of ammunition fragments in animal remnants left by hunters, as five of 11 Pinnacles condors showed elevated lead levels in their bloodstream.
At least 15 condor deaths since the broader reintroduction’s inception in 1992 have been linked to lead poisoning, according to the Center for Biological Diversity’s Web site. Others have fallen victim to power lines.
Considering a total population of 135 free-flying California condors, lead poisoning already has negated a relatively robust proportion of this carefully scrutinized species.
As pressure continues to mount from environmentalists and biologists armed with scientific evidence, state leaders seem to be taking notice.
While we near one of the most crucial decisions in the rebirth of a species, remember that the crisis condors now face likely is the same reason for their decimation more than a century ago, when we lacked the foresight, data and conscientiousness we now possess.
Regardless of test results from the Pinnacles condors, it’s time to save the species from dispensable risk. It’s time to ban lead bullets in the condor range.
