In 1987, wildlife managers made an agonising call: capture every last wild California condor — all 27 — to prevent extinction. Chicks were raised with puppet heads so they'd never imprint on humans. Today, more than 500 condors soar across the American West.
The Empty Sky
In 1987, wildlife managers made an agonising decision: capture every last wild California condor — all 27 of them — to prevent extinction. The skies over California fell silent.
A Bold Gamble
The captive breeding program that followed is one of conservation's most audacious gambles. Eggs were hand-raised using condor puppets to avoid imprinting on humans. Slow to reproduce — a pair raises just one chick every two years — the birds were painstakingly bred and released.
>> "Raising condor chicks with puppet heads so they'd never imprint on humans — conservation had to get creative to save 27 individuals."
By 2024, the wild population surpassed 500 individuals. They now range from Baja California to Utah. Lead poisoning from ammunition remains the primary threat, driving campaigns for lead-free hunting in condor habitat.