Captured Condor May Return to Zoo

A California condor that couldn’t stay away from civilization was captured and is being held in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Ventura County while biologists decide whether the endangered vulture should be returned to the zoo where it was hatched.

The capture on Monday followed the June 24 death of another condor near San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara County. That death occurred after U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists found that two of the five condors in the wild were landing on back-yard fences and on swimming-pool decks in the area.

After biologists tried to spook the birds back to their more remote home in the backcountry of Santa Barbara County, one flew into a power line and died of a broken pelvis. The second bird flew back to rejoin the other birds.

But the second bird returned to the populated area over the weekend, nearly drawing the three other condors in the wild with him.

Biologists will meet with condor recovery team members Thursday to decide whether the male condor should be returned to a zoo, said Marc M. Weitzel, condor recovery project leader.

“Our biggest concern is that he would draw the three remaining birds back into this urbanized area,” Weitzel said.

The death last month of the bird tagged No. 89 marked the fifth condor to die in a collision with civilization since the program to reintroduce the endangered vultures to the wild began in 1992.

But Weitzel said such incidents are an expected part of the recovery program and will not interrupt plans to release up to 10 more chicks into Lion Canyon next fall.

“This is a long-term program and we have to manage it step by step,” he said.