Over 100 years ago, the last California condor disappeared from Oregon, a species that is now critically endangered. By the 1980s, it was essentially gone, leading to the capture of the 22 remaining birds for a breeding programme.
Yurok Tribe is working on reintroduction efforts to help boost the population, and it appears these efforts are on the right track. OPB is now reporting that a California condor flew into Oregon this week, marking the first time since 1904.
Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department Director Tiana Williams Claussen says in a statement that the bird, designated B9, is of the more adventurous sort:
"She flew almost 100 miles per day, which means she was really utilizing the landscape the way that only a condor can, really taking advantage of those mountains and riverways that give good flight corridors."
The current population is growing, and the goal is to release more birds this summer; those already out in the wild are regularly monitored, and hopefully this is a first sign that the species might be able to survive.
