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Though their numbers reached as few as nine in 1985, there are now 166 California Condors in the wild. This increase has come after decades of effort by zoologists, conservationists, and environmental activists. While the recovery is impressive, the species is still considered highly endangered and is threatened largely by its scavenging nature.
Condors are part of the New World Vultures family and, like most vultures, have a tendency to eat anything they find. This includes things like antifreeze and, as has recently been discovered, lead buckshot from hunter's bullets. In 2007, one of the few wild condors was taken into treatment at the Los Angeles Zoo where, despite the efforts of zoologists, it died of lead poisoning.
The levels of lead in the condor were so high, 10 times the concentration considered dangerous for condors, scientists ruled that it could not have been poisoned by naturally-occurring lead in the soil and must have been caused by ingesting pieces of lead, like those left by big-game shot. In response, 45 biologists signed a petition calling for a ban on the use of lead shot in big-game hunting.
California enacted such a ban, prohibiting the use of toxic shot in condor country, in January 2008. The restriction was extended on December 4, 2008, to totally prohibit the use of lead shot in the 2,385-square-mile Condor-habitat area. Hopefully, these regulations will make the difficult job of protecting the condor a little easier.
Find out more about the latest environmental news on Focus Earth: December 20, 2008: Saving the Condor & OPEC Cuts.
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