California condor #20 (AC-4) flies free above Bitter Creek National. A 35-year-old male California condor that has served a pivotal role in returning condors to the skies above California for the past 30 years was returned to the wild on December 29, 2015 by biologists at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Kern County, California. The condor, known as AC-4, was captured on August 7, 1985, by a team of Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologists at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge as part of an effort to prevent extinction of the species. He was one of 22 California condors
California condor #20 (AC-4) flies free above Bitter Creek National. A 35-year-old male California condor that has served a pivotal role in returning condors to the skies above California for the past 30 years was returned to the wild on December 29, 2015 by biologists at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Kern County, California. The condor, known as AC-4, was captured on August 7, 1985, by a team of Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologists at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge as part of an effort to prevent extinction of the species. He was one of 22 California condors - the last remaining on Earth - captured between 1983 and 1987 to breed in captivity as part of the Service-led California Condor Recovery Program. On December 29, re-branded as California condor number 20, he was released in the same area where he was captured. “Watching this California condor, who has been so instrumental to recovery of his species, rejoin the wild flock, is an emotional and historic moment,” said Joseph Brandt, lead condor biologist with Service. “It’s like seeing him come full circle.” Jesse Grantham, former California Condor Recovery Coordinator, was part of the team to capture AC-4 in 1985, and had monitored the bird extensively. “Many people have poured their heart and soul into the recovery of these remarkable birds, and it is an amazing feeling to be here with many of those individuals who have dedicated their lives to condor recovery. The bird can now live out the remainder of its life back in the wild, while his legacy and contributions to condor recovery live on in future generations.” Children and young adults from the Pasadena Young Birders Club joined Brandt, Grantham and many others who have worked on condor conservation for decades, to be a part of the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fifteen-year-old birder Diego Blanco and his family watched in awe as the condor took flight. [He] soared to our left, away from the pen and over
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Photo credit: © Natural History Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: animal, animals, archive, bitter, california, condor, conservation, conserve, creek, education, endangered, fauna, fish, flora, habitat, history, image, learning, management, national, natural, nature, nwr, preservation, preserve, record, reference, refuge, service, species, states, united, usfws, wildlife, world
