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Dawn sterner and a lot of other keepers are spending time in the remote corner in the
Safari park, nearly every pen of the condors can be viewed from here and all are watched
closely. >>> We are making sure pairs work well together,
we will sometimes put artificial eggs in with a pair to find out that they are working well
together before we risk real eggs. >>> Biologists consider the eggs a precious
commodity and 30 years have led to remarkable achievements but the species is not sustaining.
>>> Even though there are a little over 400 California condors in the world that's not
enough. >>> That's more than there were in the 1980s,
the species fell to 22 birds before accident listed on the endangered list.
Ann sterner says they provide puppets, to help them get used to the idea of having eggs
and being parents. >>> The puppeteers hide behind screens and that's
important because the birds could end up in the wild.
>>> To see an egg that I watched develop and it's a chick that grows into a bird that waste
over 20 pounds with a 9 foot wing span and you see it flying out into the wild is absolutely
amazing. >>> Michael Mace is the cure rate tore of
birds at the San Diego park and he says half of the condors alive today are flying free
in their historical ranges. There are release programs in central California,
Arizona and Mexico. >>> I think the fact that we have gone from
22 birds now to more than 400 with more than half of those in the wild those producing
their own offspring we have made great strides. >>> But the birds flight has not been easy,
condors faced a threat from mosquitos, and the ancient birds have had to deal with on
going threats created by people. >>> They are scavengers, so they sometimes
feed on carcesses, and that can create an issue.
>>> And trash is another threat that they say has to be dealt with if the condors are
to survive. >>> The playing field in a program like this
is constantly changing. We have to react to the new circumstances
or try to anticipate what those challenges might be.
>>> He says biologists have done fairly well in managing the recovery effort but diligence
is required. >>> The chicks we raise today, if they make
it through their life span will be with us more than 60 years so it's critical that we
reduce or eliminate these obstacles that are in the way of recovering species like condors.
>>> And the recovery effort is important not just for condors, he says the birds are considered
an umbrella species and making the range safe for condors makes it safe for lots of others,
too. Erik Anderson, KPBS news.