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condors continued
Finding a bird with a compatible are killed for sport and because some placed together in their habitat outside
personality is important for Andean farmers mistakenly think they are a Feathers & Scales. While it can take
condors—these massive birds are threat to their livestock. Their numbers years for a strong bond to fully develop,
monogamous, and they develop strong have also been affected by pesticides staff have been pleased with the behaviors
bonds with their mates. Because of that farmers use as these chemicals they have seen from both of the birds so far.
personality differences, 34-year-old make their way up the food chain.
Maria had a hard time developing Taking Off
this bond with her previous mates, For these reasons, AZA has created a
and so they never reproduced. Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Andean In the coming months and years, staff
condors. SSPs are important tools will be monitoring Maria and Dino to
The condors at Cleveland Zoo were in that carefully manage the breeding of see if they observe any breeding behavior
a similar situation—their male was a bit specific species in order to maintain (in the wild, breeding season usually
too dominant for their female. So, based healthy, self-sustaining, and genetically occurs between February and June).
on a recommendation from the Association diverse populations in institutions and
of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), staff from to enhance the conservation efforts of Andean condors typically lay one egg
the two zoos met up to do a “bird swap.” these species in the wild (the Society at a time, which hatches after roughly 55
currently participates in 112 SSPs). days. They are one of the few bird species
Hatching a Plan where both the male and female take
There are currently 69 condors living turns incubating the egg and raising the
Cleveland Zoo’s male condor, 32-year-old under professionally managed care in young—the chick often remains with
Dino, arrived here in early November the United States as part of the Andean both the male and female for up to two
(15-year-old Atreyu, who previously Condor SSP, and AZA hopes to increase years, or until the pair breeds again.
lived with Maria, was sent to Cleveland this number in coming years. Here
Zoo to be paired with its female). Staff at Brookfield Zoo, despite the lack of If Maria and Dino do have a chick, it
were very excited by the new pairing. breeding behavior observed between could potentially play a role in revitalizing
Maria and her previous partners, staff have the Andean condor population in South
“Not only did it seem like Maria and seen Maria lay eggs in the past. However, America. The SSP coordinators have begun
Dino had personalities that would be they were never fertilized by her partners, a reintroduction program for these birds,
a good fit, they also are a really good which indicates they never fully bonded. where chicks that are well-represented
genetic match,” said Tim Snyder, the genetically in AZA-accredited institutions
Society’s curator of birds. “It would Staff are hoping that Maria and Dino are raised in special conditions before being
be great for the condor population if will reproduce, but they have been taking released in Colombia, South America.
they were able to produce a chick.” things slow to ensure maximum comfort
for the birds (plus, Andean condors can More than 80 condors, hatched at
The International Union for live up to 80 years under professionally 18 institutions, have been reintroduced
Conservation of Nature lists Andean managed care, so there is still plenty to the birds’ native range through this
condors as near threatened, due primarily of time for these birds to breed). program. Biologists in Colombia have
to human-bird conflict. As their name confirmed that the released birds are
suggests, these birds reside primarily Maria and Dino were initially thriving, and some have even bred
along the Andes Mountains in South introduced off exhibit. Because Maria and produced their own offspring.
America. While they often reside high has lived in her habitat for years, staff
in the mountains, they can also be wanted to be sure to introduce the birds However, it’s not a sure thing that
found in lowland deserts and open on neutral ground. By December, the a chick born here would be placed in
grasslands, where they may be vulnerable birds had demonstrated that they were the program—once mature, it could be
to human persecution. These birds comfortable with each other and were sent to another accredited institution to
eventually breed with another bird there.
14 GATEWAYS | FLIGHT OF THE CONDORS
