Три молодых калифорнийских кондора совершили первые полеты над землями предков племени Юрок

Three young California condors take first flights over Yurok ancestral lands KLAMATH, Calif. — Three young California condors are taking their first flights over Yurok ancestral lands after months of preparation, marking another step in an effort to rebuild the species’ presence in Northern California. Chris West, the Yurok Tribe’s senior wildlife biologist and program manager for the Northern California Condor Restoration Program, said the tribe currently has seven condors in its care. The three birds now making their first flights are part of that group. All seven condors came from the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Safari Park, where they were raised through a breeding program. West said the birds arrived at about a year and a half old after being socialized during their first 18 months, then underwent preparation for release into the wild. The first three condors were released early last week, and another was released over the weekend, meaning four are now flying free. West said condors play an important ecological role because they are scavengers that remove dead animals from the landscape, helping reduce the risk of disease. He also emphasized the birds’ cultural significance for the Yurok Tribe and other tribes across the region. From the Yurok perspective, West said, condors are “considered to be the one that flies the highest,” and “carries the prayers of the people to the heavens when the people are asking for the world to be put back in balance,” which he described as central to the tribe’s role as “world renewal people.” West said condors are critical for ceremony not only for the Yurok Tribe but also for other tribes throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the western United States. As the birds begin life in the wild, wildfire is among the concerns. West said the region is in fire season and that “many condors that have been released into the wild have been lost due to wildfire.” But he said the primary threat remains lead poisoning from ammunition, calling lead ammunition “the primary cause of mortality in condors reintroduced back into the wild.” Condors feed on large carcasses, and animals shot with lead ammunition can contain fragments that are then ingested by scavengers. West said the program is also finding roadkill animals that still carry old lead ammunition from previous shootings. “So we keep asking shooters and hunters to make the switch to non-lead ammunition because they can really be the heroes of this conservation success story, hopefully,” West said. To protect newly released birds, crews track them closely, especially early on. West said the condors have never flown before release and must learn to transition from life in pens to soaring at high altitudes and traveling long distances. Each bird is fitted with a radio, and crews use telemetry gear to follow them, including monitoring where they settle for the night and returning the next day to continue tracking. So far, West said, the four recently released condors have stayed close to the release site, venturing less than a quarter-mile away while still getting airborne and learning to use thermals and wind. He said the birds are being allowed to make their own decisions rather than being guided to specific areas, and rain moving into the area may also be keeping them from traveling far. The birds have also begun feeding and interacting with other condors. West said food and fresh water are placed at the release site so the birds’ first experience outside the pen includes feeding there. Wild condors also come to the site, and the newly released birds “walked right into a feeding event with the other wild condors,” allowing immediate social interaction. West described condors as “extremely social,” making early integration important. More releases could happen soon. With four birds already out and three still in the pen, West said the plan—if conditions continue to go well—is to release the remaining three tomorrow by opening the outer door and letting them walk out. If that happens, he said, the program will have released seven new condors into the wild over a two-week period, bringing the total Northern California flock to 31 condors flying in the region. --