Condor
Reintroduction Program Putting Birds in Danger
Abridged Story
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Kim Hunter
July 30, 2000
The California condor
is the largest bird in North America. It is an endangered species. 20
years ago there were less than 30 birds left. All of the birds were
trapped and kept in safe places. The number of condors grew larger.
Puppets that looked like condors were used to take care of babies so
that more eggs could be hatched.
In the last few years, some of the condors have been returned to the
wild. But they seem to like humans now and come into danger around people.
Some birds perch on houses and tear up roofs. Some have even gone into
houses. Birds have been shot, poisoned, and killed by power lines.
Now there is another problem. Condors find dead animals that hunters
have killed. The bullets cause lead to get into the meat and it can
kill the condors. Some people think hunters should use different bullets.
Other people think that the birds should not be put into the wild.
Additional Notes:
The California condor never
kills for its food. It eats animals that have already died. The wingspan
of a condor can reach 9 – 10 feet. For centuries Native Americans
have considered the condor to be a sacred bird. In 1982, the number
of condors in the wild was less than 30. By 1987, all wild condors had
been trapped and put into captivity. In 1992, condors started being
released into the wild. Many of them were attracted to humans and used
telephone poles for roosts. Many condor deaths resulted. Later, they
tried to teach the birds to be afraid of people and power lines. It
may not have helped.
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