PRESS RELEASE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR LEADS BIRDS FROM U.S. TO COLOMBIA

On Wednesday, the largest bird of the Americas took flight aboard a plane bound from Miami to Bogotá, Colombia. Two juvenile Andean condors will soon spread their 10-foot wing span and soar above the clouds as part of a successful international collaborative program that has been reintroducing this endangered species for two decades.

     One bird hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the other at the Denver Zoo. The pair was being prepared for their release into the wild while at the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida. After their arrival in Colombia, the birds will spend approximately one month in an acclimation aviary before their release into a wilderness area 50 miles northeast of Bogotá.

     "It's an incredible experience to see endangered animals that were hatched through conservation programs in zoos, like the Andean condor, released and flying among the mountaintops in their native habitat," said Michael Mace, curator of birds for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and coordinator of the condors' trip to Colombia. "One of the most rewarding aspects for zoos and conservation organizations is to be able to participate in reintroduction programs to aid in re-establishing a species in the wild for hopefully generations into the future."
     The two condors will be received by CORPOBOYACA, a natural resources management agency, on behalf of Parques Nacionales de Colombia, with the help of the Colombian federal agency Ministerio de Medioambiente de Colombia and the private organization Fundación Neotropical.

     "Denver Zoo is very excited to be a part of this reintroduction process and we're happy to contribute to the recovery of this magnificent species in the wild," says John Azua, Denver Zoo curator of birds. "This is a very important project and we want to continue to see the numbers of these amazing birds climb. We also appreciate being able to work with local agencies to secure a better world for animals through human understanding."

     The Andean condor program is international in scope with assistance from federal and local agencies in North and South America. Forty organizations within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have assisted and 18 zoos in the United States have hatched condors that have been sent to South America as part of this conservation program. Conservation centers play an important role in rearing and preparing animals for release projects.
     "For the past two years the two condors have been living in a large flight enclosure, receiving natural prey diets, and were isolated from contact with people, all important factors in creating excellent candidates for the release program in South America," said Mike Taylor, avian collection manager at White Oak Conservation Center.

     For more than 20 years, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park have been working with South American government agencies and conservation organizations to send Andean condors to both Colombia and Venezuela. Including these two birds, 82 Andean condors have been sent to these two countries. The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park have sent 31 Andean condors to South America over the last 16 years, while this is Denver Zoo's first bird sent to South America.
     This species of vulture is found throughout the Andes Mountains from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Primarily, the Andean condor lives in high mountainous regions and open grasslands.