Oct. 2008: New condor home at San Diego Wild Animal Park
Male California condor Simerrye, along with four other condors, returns Monday to the newly rebuilt aviary at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. A year ago to the day, the facility burned down as the Witch fire moved through the park. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Andean male condor Apollo, left, and his mate, Athena, sit on a perch inside the aviary. The condors have spent the last year in a smaller, less commodious facility in another part of the park. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Condor keepers Sheila Murphy, left, and Debbie Marlow release Apollo into his new $1-million breeding facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Apollo settles into his new home, with plenty room to hop and fly, which gives adult condors better reproductive odds, one park official says. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Simerrye, right, displays his territorial authority to female California condor Ojja. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Simerrye is one of 29 condors in several park facilities, part of a program to breed the endangered species in captivity and then release the young into the wild. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
