PANAMERICAN PARTNERSHIP IN CONDOR RESTORATION

In 1988, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), a close but slightly larger cousin of the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), was instrumental in the delicate save of the California condor from the brink of extinction, as shown on the timeline below: [1]

1890: Wild California condor population estimated at 600.
 
1940: Wild population estimate drops to 100. Species disappears in Mexico.

1960: No more than 60 California condors estimated to exist in the world.

1967: California condor listed as an endangered species under the precursor to today’s          Endangered Species Act.

1975: To address the species’ decline, the California Condor Recovery Program is established, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

1982: Only 22 California condors known to exist.

1985: Six wild condors disappear, leaving a single breeding pair in existence in the wild for the entire species. At this desperate point, the Fish and Wildlife Service makes the controversial decision to capture all remaining wild condors in an effort to keep them safe and begin a captive breeding program—a last ditch effort to save the species from extinction.

1987: The last wild condor is removed from the wild. At this point, the entire species population numbers 27 individuals.

1988: For the first time, a chick is hatched from a condor egg laid in captivity. Meanwhile, to prepare for the species’ eventual return to the wild, 13 female Andean condors—a closely related condor species—are released in California condor habitat. These Andean condors served as surrogates for their cousins, helping scientists perfect release techniques and identify condor threats.

2008: The total California condor population is reported at 321 as of 1/31/2009.

Pinnacles Partnership (“PIPA”) supports the PanAmerican Partnership. We helped pay for travel costs for a team of PINN biologists to meet with their Argentina colleagues on September 11, 2008.  The PanAmerican Partnership developed out of this meeting as did a blog spot written by condor biologists in the field. During 2009, the PIPA project team, co-chaired by Denise Louie (PINN), Jan Shriner (PIPA) and Rob Galindo (PIPA), engaged in outreach, fundraising and establishment of new partnerships in an effort to reduce secondary poisoning—a major threat to condor survival on both continents.  

For a thorough and fascinating update on the Pinnacles Condor flock, read Alacia Welch’s "Updates on the Pinnacles Codors".

For more information visit the PanAmerican Blog Spot, scroll down for the english version.

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[1] Source: training.fws.gov/library/Pubs/return_condors.pdf  and the 1/31/2009 report of the California Condor Recovery project.