A JOURNEY OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE: HOW VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY BROUGHT CALIFORNIA CONDORS BACK TO THE CENTRAL COAST | |||
| Joe Burnett; Ventana Wildlife Society; joeburnett@ventanaws.org; Kelly Sorenson, Darren Gross, Kara Fadden, Danae Mouton, Tim Huntington, Mike Stake | |||
Ventana Wildlife Society, a key partner in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Condor Recovery Program, has played an instrumental role in reintroducing endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) to the central coast since 1997. Through its own efforts and successful, longstanding partnerships with the Pinnacles National Park and the Oakland Zoo, the organization facilitated the growth of the region's wild population to more than 105 individuals. Despite this progress, the wild population has not yet achieved a status of self-sustainability, due to continued exposure to lead poisoning. Ventana Wildlife Society has been tackling this issue head-on with an innovative outreach program that provides grant-funded, free non-lead ammunition to hunters, prioritizing recipients using GPS condor tracking data. This initiative complements other ongoing conservation efforts, including nest monitoring, GPS tracking, releasing captive-bred condors, and providing emergency medical care to sick or injured birds. Through their unwavering dedication and resilience, the Ventana Wildlife Society and its partners serve as a powerful example of what is needed for successful species recovery today. | |||
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