10th Condor Egg of Year Produced at Zoo

Another California condor egg was laid Monday at the Los Angeles Zoo, bringing to 10 the number of eggs produced at the zoo this year.

Only 40 of the large vultures remain--19 at the Los Angeles Zoo and 21 at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. If enough hatch, California condors probably will be released into a wild habitat late this year.

The latest egg was produced by Squapuni, a 7-year-old female, and AC9, an 11-year-old male. AC9 was the last California condor in the wild and entered the zoo’s breeding program in 1987. It is the third egg for Squapuni, who is the result of captive breeding. The egg was removed by condor keepers at 6:30 a.m. In the wild, condors would rear a single chick every other year, but “pulling” the egg stimulates the birds to produce another one, or “double clutch,” within 30 days.