Photo: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region | Wikimedia
North America’s largest flying bird has become a powerful symbol of what conservation can achieve. Since 1987, when the few remaining California condors were captured for a multimillion-dollar conservation program, the population has grown to more than 200 in the wild. The Green Status of Species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, says the bird, despite still being listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, has the potential for “a significant rebound over the next century” across its previous range from British Columbia to Baja California. Lead poisoning from accidental ingestion of hunters' bullets is responsible for about 50% of all known causes of death. California introduced a ban on lead ammunition in 2019 and in Arizona and Utah, where condors have been reintroduced around the Vermilion Cliffs, hunters purchasing big-game permits are given $50 worth of lead-free ammunition. In California, the Yurok people are working with the authorities on condor recovery.
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