In the 1980s California was home to 27 condors, all of them in zoos. No condors existed in the wild. A breeding program was implemented--I remember seeing the baby condor chicks fed with hand puppets made to resemble adult condors so the babies wouldn’t imprint on humans. The San Diego Zoo was a leader in the condor breeding program.
As the condor population increased, some condors were introduced into the wild. Condors are carrion-eating birds, so California banned lead shot, which was interfering with reproduction when condors ate dead animals and ingested the lead which had killed them.
Today’s Morning Call carried an article entitled “From nearly extinct to thriving,” which noted that the total condor population could hit 400 this spring, with 200 birds living in the wild. The condors still have problems, including the toxin DDE, which they ingest when eating marine carcasses. Nevertheless, this is a success story. The largest flying bird in North America, a bird I thought was destined for extinction, has bounced back.
Who is responsible? Private wildlife agencies, private environmental groups, the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service, and the state of California. Without our taxes, the condor would be long gone. I am so pleased the condor is on its way to viability, and I am so pleased that our state and federal governments made it possible. And I am so tired of the conservatives who want to "starve government."
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