Ventana Wildlife Society is the only not-for-profit organization releasing and managing condors in the wild in California. Your help is urgently needed at this time to help us overcome the setback of the fire and continue the momentum of restoring condors to their natural habitat.

As of today, our biologists have been able to track the radio signals from all but one of the 43 free-flying adult condors that VWS has surviving in the central California region. As for the newly hatched chicks, one of three wild nests was in a burned area, although we don’t yet know the fate of the chick inside. Two other nests were very near the fire but the chicks inside survived. On July 8, we were finally able to review the damages and determine that we lost all of the field pens in Big Sur for releasing the young condors along with important equipment.

Please consider making a generous gift to the Condor Emergency Fund at VWS. With your partnership, we can replace our lost equipment and supplies and support our biologists and loyal volunteers at this challenging time. In the months ahead, we will rebuild the condor release program as well as protect and maintain the health and safety of the wild flock in Big Sur. You can help us now by going to www.ventanaws.org or calling toll-free 877-897-7740 and pledging your support.

As a member, you will receive continued updates on the progress the California condors as well as our other projects to protect and restore wildlife and their habitats. It is thanks to the past generosity of our supporters and to partnerships with other dedicated organizations that visitors from all over the world now see wild condors soaring above the mountains of Big Sur. Our vision is to see this flock grow and prosper so it becomes permanent and self-sustaining – and no longer endangered.

Kelly Sorenson, Executive Director

Ventana Wildlife Society

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“Packy is a the most famous animal at our Zoo, so it’s only natural that he’d be chosen as father of the year,” said Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director.

Forty-six-year-old Packy is dad to Sung-Surin (Shine) and Rama, both 25-years-old.

“We just finished a campaign for Zoo Mother of the Year, and found it was a fun way to initiate a relationship between the public and the highlighted animals,” said Vecchio. “As the public reads about the nominees, all of which belong to species that are either threatened or endangered, we hope they’ll come to understand and care about the challenges facing these animals in the wild.”

The Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the Zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The Zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The Zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the Zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
# # #

Oregon Zoo ̈ 4001 SW Canyon Rd. ̈ Portland, Oregon 97221 ̈ 503-226-1561

Contacts: Bill LaMarche 503-220-2448 (office) or 503-497-5812 (pager)
Linda D’Ae-Smith 503-220-5716 (office) or 503-441-7573 (pager)

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The last California condor chick of 2008 pecked through its shell the morning of June 3, marking the conclusion of another banner breeding season at the Zoo’s Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation. The chick was the fifth to hatch this season at the off-site center.

The following morning, a chick that keepers had helped into the world with a dramatic assisted hatching last month died during emergency surgery, necessitated after its digestive tract had shut down.

The loss was especially disheartening, because the young condor appeared to have turned the corner and was getting stronger following a rocky start to life. On May 7, Zoo staff worked valiantly to hatch the underweight and shell-bound bird, then nursed it through a week of antibiotics and a blood transfusion from adult condor Nootka. To see video of the assisted hatch, visit www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/CondorHatch.htm.

“Keepers worked around the clock to save this chick,” said Shawn St. Michael, condor curator. “When the chick stopped defecating, our only option was surgery.”

Despite sadness over the recent loss, keepers are excited about the newest hatchling, produced by condors Woy and Wiloq.

“We were a little apprehensive about this hatch, because Woy and Wiloq are a very young pair,” said St. Michael. “In light of our recent loss, we decided to foster the egg to a more experienced pair, Atishwin and Ojai, who had been sitting on a dummy egg up to this point.”

“Each new hatch brings us one step closer to species recovery,” said St. Michael. “Our program is relatively new, but growing in strength each year.”

The Oregon Zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in rural Clackamas County on Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to people, increasing the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild.

The center is currently home to 30 condors and has produced 15 eggs since it was established. Of the 15 eggs produced, 14 chicks have survived. Thus far, four condors bred at the center have been released into the wild. Kun Wak Shun (No. 340) was released at California’s Pinnacles National Monument in 2005, while Tatoosh (No. 367), Ursa (No. 404) and Wiley (No. 420) were released earlier this year at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona.

In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. The Oregon Zoo received The Wildlife Society’s conservation award in 2005 for “creating the nation’s fourth California condor breeding facility.”

For more information about the Oregon Zoo’s California condors, visit www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/index.htm. For Oregon Zoo condor biographies, visit www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/condorBios.htm.

Condors, the largest land birds in North America, have wingspans of up to 10 feet and weigh 18 to 30 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. During the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, condors’ range extended across much of North America. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed.

The Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the Zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, Oregon spotted frogs and western pond turtles. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The Zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off Zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
# # #

Oregon Zoo ̈ 4001 SW Canyon Rd. ̈ Portland, Oregon 97221 ̈ 503-226-1561

Contacts: Bill LaMarche 503-220-2448 (office) or 503-497-5812 (pager)
Linda D’Ae-Smith 503-220-5716 (office) or 503-441-7573 (pager)

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“We just finished a campaign for Zoo Mother of the Year, and found it was a fun way to initiate a relationship between the public and the highlighted animals,” said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. “As the public reads about the nominees, all of which belong to species that are either threatened or endangered, we hope they’ll come to understand and care about the challenges facing these animals in the wild.”

On-line votes will be accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday, June 12. The zoo will announce its 2008 Zoo Father of the Year Friday, June 13, at 10 a.m. The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

# # #

Contacts: Bill LaMarche 503-220-2448 (office) or 503-497-5812 (pager)
Linda D’Ae-Smith 503-220-5716 (office) or 503-441-7573 (pager)

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In the early hours of May 7, zoo staff worked feverishly to hatch the underweight and shell-bound bird. Monitoring the egg at the zoo’s Jonsson enter for Wildlife Conservation, keepers determined it would not be able to hatch alone. Fearing the chick would suffocate, they stepped in and helped, worst-case scenario for them. The chick was removed from the nesting room and immediately transferred to an indoor facility, where keepers broke away part of the shell and removed the chick.

“The hatch went well, but it was an extremely small chick, our lowest watch-weight yet,” said Shawn St. Michael, Oregon Zoo condor curator. “It is common for chicks to be pretty quiet for the first 24 hours after hatch. It’s an exhausting process. But we became concerned when this chick failed to perk up the way we would expect after his rest.”

St. Michael and condor keepers provided around-the-clock care, administering antibiotics and enlisting the help of an adult condor, Nootka, for a life-saving blood donation.

“Thanks to the hard work of our staff, this chick is looking good now, and we expect it will be just fine,” said St. Michael. “The chick will be puppet-reared by human foster parents and later mentored by another adult
condor.”

The assisted hatch is the fourth successful hatch of 2008, with one more expected in early June.

To see a video of the condor chick’s dramatic assisted hatch, visit www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/CondorHatch.htm

The Oregon Zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in rural Clackamas County on Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to people, increasing the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild.

The Jonsson Center is currently home to 30 condors. The center has produced 15 eggs since it was established and 14 chicks have hatched.

In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. The Oregon Zoo was the recipient of The Wildlife Society’s Conservation Award for “creating the nation’s fourth California condor breeding facility” in April 2005.

For more information about the Oregon Zoo’s California condors, visit http://www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/index.htm. For Oregon Zoo condor biographies, visit http://www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/condorBios.htm.

Condors, the largest land birds in North America, have wingspans of up to 10 feet and weigh 18 to 30 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. During the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, condors’ range extended across much of North America. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid’s lupine, in addition to California condors. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

# # #
Oregon Zoo ̈ 4001 SW Canyon Rd. ̈ Portland, Oregon 97221 ̈ 503-226-1561

Contacts: Bill LaMarche 503-220-2448 (office) or 503-497-5812 (pager)
Linda D’Ae-Smith 503-220-5716 (office) or 503-441-7573 (pager)

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What about humans who eat game killed by lead bullets? A Peregrine Fund study sampled 30 white-tailed deer killed under normal hunting conditions in northern Wyoming with standard lead-core, copper-jacketed bullets fired from a high-powered rifle. X-Rays of all 30 deer showed widespread dispersal of lead fragments in the carcasses, ranging in size from smaller than a grain of salt to the size of a sesame seed.

Even after the meat was processed for standard preparation of ground meat and boneless steaks, there were still lead fragments in the packaged meat!

“Our results suggest that people may frequently ingest metallic lead when they consume deer killed with lead-based bullets and processed by normal procedures,” said Rick Watson, vice president of The Peregrine Fund. “We have known for years that lead residues from bullets poison birds of prey and other scavengers…now it appears that this dangerous contaminant exists in food that people eat as well.”

In 2007, 80 percent of hunters voluntarily switched to non-lead ammunition in condor country or removed deer gut piles after learning about the effects of lead on condors. Condor deaths dropped from four in 2006 to none in 2007.

“We believe that copper bullets will become the ammunition of choice for hunters to benefit themselves, their families, and wildlife,” Watson added.

Thanks to the California condors, the human food supply of venison will be much safer.

For the full press release, please click here.

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“X-rays revealed that processed ground venison from 80 percent of the deer sampled in the research contained metal fragments,” said Rick Watson, vice president of The Peregrine Fund, a raptor conservation organization. Further tests revealed that 92 percent of those metal particles were lead.

“This is one more piece of evidence that points to lead bullets as a source of contamination in our environment,” Watson said. “We have known for years that lead residues from bullets poison birds of prey and other scavengers. Now it appears that this dangerous contaminant exists in food that people eat as well.”

No amount of lead is considered safe in pregnant women and children because even tiny amounts can cause brain development and behavioral problems in children. Amounts formerly considered safe in adults recently have been found to increase rates of death from heart attack and stroke.

The Peregrine Fund’s study sampled 30 white-tailed deer killed under normal hunting conditions in northern Wyoming with standard lead-core, copper-jacketed bullets fired from a high-powered rifle. X-rays of all 30 deer show widespread dispersal of lead fragments in the carcasses consistent with previous research. The fragments ranged in size from smaller than a grain of table salt to as large as a sesame seed.

“Some of it was closer to dust than a measurable fragment,” Watson said. “Without an x-ray, you would never know it was there.”

For the study, each of the 30 carcasses was taken to a different commercial meat processor for standard preparation of ground meat and boneless steaks in 2-pound packages. Even though processors routinely cut out and discard meat around the wound and along the bullet’s path inside the animal, fragments still ended up in packaged meat.

In addition to the ground meat packages, metal fragments also were found in packages of steaks. Of 16 deer carcasses with metal fragments near the spine, four showed fragments in the loin steaks. Some individual packages of both ground meat and steaks showed up to nine lead fragments, while others showed few or none, making it difficult for consumers to predict which packages might contain lead.

“Our results suggest that people may frequently ingest metallic lead when they consume deer killed with lead-based bullets and processed by normal procedures,” Watson said. “Fortunately, using copper bullets is a viable option to avoid the risk of lead exposure.”

The Peregrine Fund began studying the dangers of lead-based ammunition after endangered California Condors became sick or died from lead poisoning. The organization leads the condor recovery program in Arizona. Condors are bred and hatched at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise and released to the wild near the Grand Canyon.

Peregrine Fund research showed that the large scavengers were poisoned after feeding on carcasses and gut piles from hunter-killed game. In 2007, 80 percent of hunters voluntarily used non-lead ammunition in condor country or removed deer gut piles after learning about the effects of lead on condors. Condor deaths dropped from four in 2006 to none in 2007.

“We believe that copper bullets will become the ammunition of choice for hunters to benefit themselves, their families, and wildlife,” Watson said.

###

Established in 1970, The Peregrine Fund works worldwide to conserve biological diversity by restoring endangered birds of prey and identifying their key environmental threats, ecology, and relationships with humans. The organization restores rare species through captive breeding and releases, conserves habitat, improves capacity for local conservation, and conducts scientific research and environmental education.

www.peregrinefund.org
CONTACT
Susan Whaley, public relations coordinator
(208) 362-8274 direct
(208) 860-2641 cell
(208) 362-3716 main

Download related photos at http://www.peregrinefund.org/lead_photos.asp

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The latest egg was laid April 7 by Wiloq. She and her mate, Woy, will sit on the egg for up to two weeks before keepers remove it to test its fertility.

“The eggs are naturally incubated for 10 to 14 days,” said Shawn St. Michael, Zoo assistant curator. “Then they are pulled, candled, put into an incubator and replaced with dummy eggs.”

When the chicks start to hatch, at about 57 days, keepers switch the eggs back, so the chicks will hatch under their parents. If keepers decide to encourage Woy and Wiloq to mate again (also called “double clutching”), they may remove Wiloq’s dummy egg.

Unfortunately, an abundance of eggs does not guarantee an abundance of chicks. Of the seven eggs laid last year, only three condor chicks hatched. The low fertility was likely due to the number of young females in the program. Last year’s eggs included two from condor pairs that had never produced eggs before.

The Zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in Clackamas County on Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors. The Jonsson Center is currently home to 26 condors. The center has produced 15 eggs since it was established and 10 chicks have hatched.

In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. The Oregon Zoo was the recipient of The Wildlife Society’s Conservation Award for “creating the nation’s fourth California condor breeding facility” in
April 2005.

For more information about the Oregon Zoo’s California condors, visit http://www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/index.htm . For Oregon Zoo condor biographies, visit http://www.oregonzoo.org/Condors/condorBios.htm.

Condors, the largest land birds in North America, have wingspans of up to 10 feet and weigh 18 to 30 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. During the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, condors’ range extended across much of North America. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into
captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed.

The Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the Zoo is currently working to save endangered Washington pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Kincaid’s lupine, in addition to California condors. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The Zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The Zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63 to the Oregon Zoo. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238 RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the Zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $1 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

# # #
Contacts: Bill LaMarche 50-220-2448 (office) or 503-497-5812 (pager)

Linda D’Ae-Smith 503-220-5716 (office) or 503-441-7573 (pager)

Oregon Zoo ̈ 4001 SW Canyon Rd. ̈ Portland, Oregon 97221 ̈ 503-226-1561

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