Once nearly extinct, California condors are gradually returning to the wild in Mexico. For example, two males were recently released in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir Mountains.
They were born and raised in the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. The feathered raptors have been named Enia and Hulu.
California condors are found in the American states of California, Utah and Arizona, as well as in Mexico. These birds were nearly exterminated in the last century. There are less than 30 of them left. In the 1980s, the U.S. launched a program to restore the population. Mexico joined it in 2002.
“The California condor program is iconic in terms of conservation. It is one of the most successful programs to recover a species that was on the brink of extinction. Thanks to the work of zoos, today’s wildlife conservation centers, the species has recovered and is no longer threatened with extinction.”
The Chapultepec Zoo has bred a total of 13 California condor chicks. Eleven of them have already been released into the wild.
California condors belong to the family of American vultures. They feed exclusively on carrion. They lay eggs only once every two years, as they spend a long time caring for their chicks.
