CALIFORNIA CONDOR RELEASE SET\4 birds reared by parents in captivity; will boost free population\to 17.Byline: Marni McEntee Daily News Staff Writer Federal wildlife biologists plan to release four young California condors at Castle Crags in eastern San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (săn l  `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. County next week, the
first of the endangered birds reared in captivity by their parents.
The release in the Machesna Wilderness Area of the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. will raise the free-flying condor population to 17 - the most since the 1980s. Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the release of 13 condors in Lion Canyon in Santa Barbara County. "Since one of the goals of the program is to get the birds into their historic range, it's another area that we hope they will nest when they get old enough," said Marguerite Hills, deputy project leader for the California Condor Recovery Program. Program leaders also plan to release up to nine condors near the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona this spring. But that effort has been stalled until at least April because residents of the area say the release could infringe on their rights to use public lands. They want the Fish and Wildlife Service to sign a memorandum of understanding A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a legal document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action and may not imply a legal commitment. that the birds will remain under a special Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. designation that does not restrict such uses as hunting, mining, logging and grazing. Biologists were in Utah this week negotiating with the residents. The birds planned for release spent the first three months of their lives with their parents at captive breeding captive breeding mating programs designed for use with animals kept in captivity. See also hand mating. facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. and the San Diego Wild Animal Park The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city and Southern California. . Then, the birds were transferred to Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge's rearing facility in Ventura County. At the refuge, the birds were housed in man-made caves designed to emulate their natural nesting environment. Later, biologists used negative conditioning to instill a fear of the trappings of mankind into the birds. The conditioning includes the use of a mock power pole that gives a mild shock when the birds land. Scientists hope the conditioning will keep the birds away from power lines. Biologists hope the combination of parent-rearing, time spent in the simulated cave and the negative conditioning will result in more natural behavior in the wild. Although scientists expect the Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County birds eventually to intermingle in·ter·min·gle tr. & intr.v. in·ter·min·gled, in·ter·min·gling, in·ter·min·gles To mix or become mixed together. intermingle Verb [-gling, , they hope the initial separation will allow them to compare the success of the two release sites. |
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