Biologists Swap Condor Eggs in Nest
Biologists have replaced an artificial California condor egg in the nest of birds living in the wild with an egg produced in captivity.
The real egg, produced at the Los Angeles Zoo and placed in the wild this week, is expected to hatch soon. Federal biologists are hoping the birds will learn how to raise a chick in their Santa Barbara County nest.
The birds in Los Padres National Forest had been nesting on the artificial egg for about three weeks. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists had replaced their natural egg with the artificial one because they were concerned the original egg would not hatch in the wild, because the birds were not nesting properly.
The removed egg hatched in captivity this weekend, and the hatchling is being raised by captive birds who have taken it as their own, officials said.
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