California Condors Confront Bird Flu in Flight From Extinction
LOS ANGELES—The California condor is facing the deadliest strain of avian influenza in U.S. history, and the outbreak could jeopardize the iconic vulture with its 10-foot wingspan decades after conservationists saved the species from extinction.
But nine newly hatched chicks, covered in downy white feathers, give condor-keepers at the Los Angeles Zoo hope that the endangered population of North America’s largest soaring land birds will once again thrive after 40 years of aggressive efforts.
With fewer than 350 condors in the wild—in flocks that span from the Pacific Northwest to Baja California, Mexico—the historic outbreak means ongoing breeding-in-captivity and re-wilding programs like the LA Zoo’s remain essential….