Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!nsc!voder!pyramid!sandra
From: sandra@pyrtech (Sandra Macika)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: California Condor
Message-ID: <120900@pyramid.pyramid.com>
Date: 24 Jul 90 05:03:15 GMT
Sender: daemon@pyramid.pyramid.com
Reply-To: sandra@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Sandra Macika)
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Lines: 36

In article <45549@ism780c.isc.com> marv@ism780.UUCP (Marvin Rubenstein) writes:
>In article <120748@pyramid.pyramid.com> sandra@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Sandra Macika) writes:
>>Is there anyone who has actually see a California Condor in the wild?
>>(of course the siting would have to have been earlier than Easter 1987, when
>>the last Condor was brought into captivity)
>
>Yes.  I saw a group of 5 at one time.  
>I was able to observe the birds for about 4 hours.  
>

That sounds absolutely increadible!

>BTW: I attended an LA Audubon meeting where I was pointed out that one of
>the main reasons for removing the remaining birds from the wild was lead
>poisoning.  Even though cattle carcasses were placed out for birds, they
>continued to feed on deer that were shot with lead bullets.  And this may be
>a problem if they are ever returned to the wild.
>
>   Marv Rubinstein

Hopefully the development of copper bullets will eliminate this problem.
I spoke with Mike Wallace, curator of birds at the Los Angeles Zoo today.
He indicated that the bullets are so popular, that the only problem is 
hunting shops can't keep them in stock! They still want to have an 
Andean Condor ingest enough of the copper to ensure that it does not 
have harmful side effects, but it seems to be a far cry better than 
lead poisioning, which completely shuts down the bird's digestive system.

Mike told me that they hope to release some of the California Condors
in 1992 or 1993.

Thanks for the reply! I really appreciate it!

My speech is tomorrow. I'll let you all know how it went.

Sandra