Zoo Internquest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
This week, interns were lucky enough to meet with Amanda Wert, one of the keepers in charge of taking care of the California condors, one of the most endangered species of birds in the world, residing at the Zoo. The Zoo has two of the 416 California condors currently in existence, both in and outside of managed care. Both of the individuals at the Zoo are male and are currently not schedule to be released into the wild. Both individuals are currently not involved in a breeding program, as they have not been chosen to do so by their Species Survival Plan, SSP, coordinator. Ms. Wert explained that all California condors receive an identification number when they are born and are tracked for the remainder of their life by a multitude of researchers, scientists and conservationists.
Ms. Wert gave interns a good understanding of how condors operate, as well as information on the two specific individuals currently residing at the Zoo. California condors are some of the biggest birds in the world with a wingspan of up to nine and a half feet, and are capable of living for over 40 years in the wild, 60 in captivity zoo setting. The California condor enclosure at the Zoo is quite special as it is a multispecies aviary, something that is often quite hard to create with birds of prey. Aside from the two condors, the aviary also contains one common raven, who is actually quite cheeky and often plays or steals foods from the condors, as well as a multitude of local birds that sometimes enter the exhibit such as black phoebes, song sparrows and California towhee.
Ms. Wert gave us a lot of information about the history and work that the SSP has done for the California condor. As she explained, the California condor became extinct in the wild in 1982 when the remaining 22 individuals left in the wild were taken in to a managed care setting to begin an extensive breeding programmed. The first success of the program came shortly after with the first egg to be laid in zoo-like setting, the first of many. Despite the success of the program, with the first birds being release back into the wild in 1991, several big issues that originally brought the birds to the brink still threaten the survival of the species to this day. Ms. Wert explained that the main causes for the near extinction of the species was were certain pesticides such as DDT, the use of led ammunition and the consumption of micro trash which is often fed to their chicks, killing them. Although the use of certain pesticides such as DDT has become prohibited, the issues of micro trash and the use of led ammunition still persists to this day, greatly affecting the success of the conservation program. In fact, despite extensive conservation efforts, there are still more condors dying than there are chicks being born in the wild.
A lot of effort has been put into bringing back the California condor from extinction and the program has been quite a success, especially when compared to the handful of individuals left in 1987. However, there is still quite a long road ahead until the conservation goal of having several stable populations across the condor’s native range has been met. As Ms. Wert told us everyone can help contribute by simply being aware of the issues the condors face and helping to end the use of led bullets. Small actions such as making sure to put your trash in a closed container of some sort, cleaning trash that you see left on the ground and making others aware of the damage that micro trash can cause will go a long way to helping these birds recover.
Mael, Conservation Team
Week Five, Winter Session 2019
