California condors released into the wild in San Simeon after 2-day delay
After waiting for two days in rainy, foggy conditions, a group of juvenile California condors were released into the wild on Thursday in the mountains above San Simeon.
The giant birds’ release marked a joyous day for the Ventana Wildlife Society, which held the condors in its large holding pen on the North Coast since Oct. 7. The condors were raised in captivity at San Diego Zoo Safari Park and are now 1 1/2 years old.
The four condors will join 90 other endangered birds with 9-1/2 foot wingspans flying free on the Central Coast.
Originally scheduled for Nov. 17, the release was delayed due to inclement weather.
Joe Burnett, a senior wildlife biologist and California condor recovery program manager for Ventana Wildlife Society, compared the anticipation of finally opening the doors to a rocket launch.
“I feel like this is like the SpaceX launch that just happened” at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Burnett said. The Nov. 15 launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew 1-Dragon capsule was also delayed due to inclement weather.
During Thursday’s release, two of the condors — Muursh and Pixchi — flew away from the holding pen to roost in nearby pine trees. Another bird, Tich’, hopped out and fed on nearby calf carcasses left by Ventana Wildlife Society field crew.
The fourth condor, Wassak, remained in the pen. As the sun began to set Thursday, Tich’ joined Wassak back in the holding pen. The door to the holding pen was then closed, and scheduled to be reopened in Friday morning to allow Tich’ and Wassak leave.
California condor population, tribal ties
California condors are considered critically endangered.
In 1982, only 22 of the giant birds remained after the species was almost wiped out due to destruction of habitat, poaching and lead poisoning from fragments of lead bullets in carcasses shot by hunters. Now, about 500 condors live both in the wild and in captivity.
The California condor population recently took a hit during the devastating Dolan Fire that burned nearly 125,000 acres just south of Big Sur. The wildfire killed one condor and destroyed a sanctuary for the birds. Nine of the birds are still missing after the fire.
The bird is sacred to many Native American tribes in California. Those released on Thursday will reside in the lands of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, and the Rumsen and Salinan tribal communities.
The condors released on Thursday — Pixchi, Tich’, Wassak and Muursh — were named by the tribal communities.
Juvenile condor Pixchi, named by the Esselen tribal community, means “white peak” and refers to Pico Blanco Mountain in Big Sur. The Salinan tribe named Tich, which means “condor” in their language.
“We are honored to name a sacred California condor. The California condor, like many of our people, were critically threatened at one point in time, but we are still here, both watching over and caring for our sacred homelands,” Jana Nason of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County told the Ventana Wildlife Society.
Linda Yamane, a member of the Rumsen Ohlone tribal community, told the Ventana Wildlife Society that they “are honored that these condors will carry a reminder of our people with them — that our ancestors cared for these lands and that we, their descendants, are still here today.”
“Like the condor, our languages were once near extinction, but we have worked hard to breathe new life into our ancient languages and are keeping them safe for the future,” she said.
More condors are on their way to the Central Coast
The Ventana Wildlife Society is expected to release three more juvenile condors on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to noon. Those releases will be viewed live feed via the San Simeon Condor Cam at explore.org/livecams/condors/condor-san-simeon.
“Our approach to condor releases is in the best interest of the condors first and foremost,” Burnett wrote in an email.
After the birds’ release, he wrote, “The real work begins to ensure their return to the release site to feed and establish healthy routines.”
He noted that stillborn calves have been placed near the holding pen so the young condors can have safe, lead-free food prior to learning how to find sustenance on their own.
The Ventana Wildlife Society will soon receive several condors from Oregon, where their habitat was destroyed by a fire.
Another condor previously living in the area of the Dolan Fire, Iniko, is recovering at the Los Angeles Zoo from slight injuries she received from the wildfire. She will be released back into the wild in fall 2021.
Also residing at the Los Angeles Zoo is another condor, Chick 1033, who was evacuated before the Dolan Fire reached her nesting area. She was injured, possibly after being attacked by another animal, as is recovering at the zoo.
For more information about the Ventana Wildlife Society, visit www.ventanaws.org.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 9:58 AM.
