With the species fighting off extinction for a century,
Wednesday’s long-awaited transfer of six California Condors to a
newly-built holding pen at Pinnacles National Monument was,
appropriately, a struggle.
With the species fighting off extinction for a century, Wednesday’s long-awaited transfer of six California Condors to a newly-built holding pen at Pinnacles National Monument was, appropriately, a struggle.
But the expectedly treacherous one-mile hike to the site that included biologists, officials from the park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ventana Wilderness Society and students, was a successful endeavor. The condors were safely placed in a highly-controlled field release pen that had been under construction for the past six weeks.
Now, biologists with Pinnacles and the other agencies will spend the next three months preparing the condors for release into the wild – while taking part in one of the most prominent species reintroduction programs in the world. The condors are between 6 months and 1 year old.
“This is really history in the making for us,” said Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon, after the condors had been safely placed in their pens. “This is just what national parks are for.”
The release of the condors into the holding facility located in the Grassy Canyon area of San Benito’s scenic treasure took place at about 8:30 a.m. The project has been underway since 1999, while several roadblocks have previously delayed Wednesday’s arrival.
The scavenger species – the largest bird in North America – has been on the federal endangered species list since 1967.
Park officials gathered in the darkness of a parking lot at 6 a.m. Wednesday and recited rules for the trip to the release pen. Seven groups would each carry one condor’s kennel
The containers – 50 pounds with the condors’ added weight – were knee-high, braced by wooden poles along the sides as handles and wrapped by blue cloth to block light and the sight of humans.
Completion of the hike for all seven groups lasted about 90 minutes.
After the six condors and an additional 12-year-old mentor condor had been safely placed in the release pen, officials glowed with relief and optimism about the three-month preparation for a release.
This is just another step, Palmer said, toward reaching some lofty goals for the condor reintroduction program. The agencies plan to continue the program at Pinnacles, with six condors each year until they reach a sustained population of 20.
