California Condors Set to Be Released as Population Makes Steady Comeback

With wings spanning nine and a half feet and striking white underwing feathers, the California condor is making a comeback after facing near extinction just four decades ago. As of last year, 344 condors now fly free in parts of California and nearby states. An additional 217 are in captivity, including breeding pairs, chicks, and viable eggs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The wild population is comprised of five different flocks, intentionally separated by distance to ensure genetic diversity and that a single threat does not harm the entire population. “We owe it to the birds to not let them go extinct,” Tim Hauck, program director for The Peregrine Fund’s Condor Recovery Program, told The Epoch Times....