Claudia,
the Andean Condor, is the largest flying bird species on our planet,
with a wingspan of about nine feet. She was hatched in captivity from
and egg that was artificially incubated. Work on this species, a member
of the vulture family, helped to save one of our rarest birds in the
United States, the California Condor. By developing techniques to
incubate, rear, and release these magnificent birds their population
has been stabilized.
California
condor populations dropped to a low of only 23 birds remaining in
the wild. Removing the wild population for captive protection and
breeding increased their total population to almost 200 with releases
re-establishing a wild population of over 50 birds.
This
project shows we can make a difference and give some species of
endangered wildlife a second chance.