Unhatched Condor Dies

An unhatched California Condor chick died unexpectedly Saturday afternoon at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, a park spokesman said.

Tom Hanscom said there had been no signs of problems. The chick, which had incubated for 57 days, had cracked an air hole in the shell Wednesday evening.

“We were planning to help it free of the shell around 8 p.m. (Saturday) night,” park spokesman Hanscom said. “Up until 2 p.m., when we found the chick dead, we really had no indication of complications.”

The Condor egg had lost less weight than considered normal. The eggs usually lose 14% of its weight, but this one had lost only 10.85% by Wednesday, Hanscom said. He said the chick was edematous, a condition where the tissue becomes spongy from retaining water, but this is a common occurrence.

“We have hatched edematous chicks,” he said. “The excess fluid is usually passed in a couple of days.”

Hanscom said he is uncertain whether the condition is related to the death. A necropsy was being performed at the San Diego Zoo.

Fifteen California Condor eggs, 10 of those fertile and four already hatched, have been laid in captivity this year, he said.

Only 35 California Condors remain in existence.