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POACHER KILLS CONDOR -- Jim Matthews-ons 20feb03
Poacher kills one of original wild condors
A poacher has killed one of the last wild-bred wild California condors, shooting the bird in a remote area of southern Kern County. The condor, known as Adult Condor-8 or AC-8, was the last of the wild birds captured in 1986 for the captive breeding program.
AC-8 was found dead February 13th, and it was determined she had died of a gunshot wound. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game are investigating "this criminal act," according to Sonke Mastrup, deputy director of the DFG in Sacramento, and there is hope the person or persons who killed can be brought to justice.
"The death of this majestic bird is a great tragedy and a tremendous loss, said Gale Norton, Interior Secretary, "While we have had great success in our condor recovery efforts to date, we cannot accept the needless loss of any of these great birds. We are actively pursuing a full investigation of this matter."
To assist in gathering information, a reward program has been set up and anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction stands to earn a "substantial" sum, according to Scott Pearson, the agent in charge of the investigation for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento. "The amount of the reward depends on the value and importance to the case, but it certainly can be in the thousands of dollars," said Pearson.
The loss of any condor is a blow to the recovery program, with only 79 birds in wild populations and another 118 in captivity, but the lost of this bird in particular was devastating to the program because of what she represented, said Marc Weitzel, the project leader at the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge complex near Fillmore in Ventura County, home to many of the wild birds.
"We will not let the tragic death of AC-8 slow the forward momentum of condor recovery," said Weitzel. "AC-8s legacy will carry on. Condors are exhibiting breeding behavior in the California and Arizona populations and we fully anticipate wild-born condors again in the near future."
AC-8 was the matriarch of a handful of California condors in the wild. Born in the wild, she was the last of the wild birds to be taken into captivity in 1986. She spent 14 years in captivity, where she produced 12 offspring, before being released back into the wild in April, 2000. While many of the young condors, born in captivity and released into the wild, relied on the food provided at feeding stations by the USFWS, AC-8 immediately returned to all of her old haunts, demonstrating a remarkable memory to the point of returning to the same rocky ledges she frequented as a young bird in the wild.
Late last summer, AC-8 showed up at one of the feeding stations extremely ill and was taken back into captivity. She was found to have severe lead poisoning and was treated for several weeks before recovering and being released back into the wild. She was though to be more than 30 years old at the time of her death.
All of this made her loss even more difficult for researchers and condor enthusiasts.
Because the California condor is listed as an endangered species, killing one of the great vultures is a violation of the Endangered Species Act and carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000. Civil assessments could add considerably to the punishment.
Anyone with information on the shooting can call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 916-414-6664 or the Department of Fish and Game's special CalTIP hotline at 1-888-DFG-CALTIP.
Poacher kills one of original wild condors
A poacher has killed one of the last wild-bred wild California condors, shooting the bird in a remote area of southern Kern County. The condor, known as Adult Condor-8 or AC-8, was the last of the wild birds captured in 1986 for the captive breeding program.
AC-8 was found dead February 13th, and it was determined she had died of a gunshot wound. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game are investigating "this criminal act," according to Sonke Mastrup, deputy director of the DFG in Sacramento, and there is hope the person or persons who killed can be brought to justice.
"The death of this majestic bird is a great tragedy and a tremendous loss, said Gale Norton, Interior Secretary, "While we have had great success in our condor recovery efforts to date, we cannot accept the needless loss of any of these great birds. We are actively pursuing a full investigation of this matter."
To assist in gathering information, a reward program has been set up and anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction stands to earn a "substantial" sum, according to Scott Pearson, the agent in charge of the investigation for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento. "The amount of the reward depends on the value and importance to the case, but it certainly can be in the thousands of dollars," said Pearson.
The loss of any condor is a blow to the recovery program, with only 79 birds in wild populations and another 118 in captivity, but the lost of this bird in particular was devastating to the program because of what she represented, said Marc Weitzel, the project leader at the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge complex near Fillmore in Ventura County, home to many of the wild birds.
"We will not let the tragic death of AC-8 slow the forward momentum of condor recovery," said Weitzel. "AC-8s legacy will carry on. Condors are exhibiting breeding behavior in the California and Arizona populations and we fully anticipate wild-born condors again in the near future."
AC-8 was the matriarch of a handful of California condors in the wild. Born in the wild, she was the last of the wild birds to be taken into captivity in 1986. She spent 14 years in captivity, where she produced 12 offspring, before being released back into the wild in April, 2000. While many of the young condors, born in captivity and released into the wild, relied on the food provided at feeding stations by the USFWS, AC-8 immediately returned to all of her old haunts, demonstrating a remarkable memory to the point of returning to the same rocky ledges she frequented as a young bird in the wild.
Late last summer, AC-8 showed up at one of the feeding stations extremely ill and was taken back into captivity. She was found to have severe lead poisoning and was treated for several weeks before recovering and being released back into the wild. She was though to be more than 30 years old at the time of her death.
All of this made her loss even more difficult for researchers and condor enthusiasts.
Because the California condor is listed as an endangered species, killing one of the great vultures is a violation of the Endangered Species Act and carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000. Civil assessments could add considerably to the punishment.
Anyone with information on the shooting can call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 916-414-6664 or the Department of Fish and Game's special CalTIP hotline at 1-888-DFG-CALTIP.
