[BCNnet] Fw: [birdwords] Important California Condor story....
Darrell J. Shambaugh
dshambaugh@prairienet.com
Mon, 24 Feb 2003 22:58:01 -0600
Here's a sad story.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tallman, Dan" <tallmand@northern.edu>
To: "Multiple recipients of sd-birds" <sd-birds@science.northern.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 8:30 AM
Subject: FW: [birdwords] Important California Condor story....
> FYI
>
> Dan Tallman
> Tallmand@northern.edu
> http://www.northern.edu/tallmand/dthome.htm
> Box 740, Northern State University, Aberdeen SD 57401
>
> ".... the best shod travel with wet feet"
> "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes ...."--Thoreau
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Martin [mailto:jrmartin@NDAK.NET]
> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 12:57 PM
> To: ND-BIRDS@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU
> Subject: Fw: [birdwords] Important California Condor story....
>
> Thought this might be of interest.
> Ron Martin
> Sawyer
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul J. Baicich" <baicich@aba.org>
> To: <birdwords@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 10:46 AM
> Subject: [birdwords] Important California Condor story....
>
>
> >
> > Dear Fellow BirdWorders,
> >
> > A few days ago, the last California Condor (AC-8) born in the wild was
> > found dead in southern Kern County, California. A necropsy determined
that
> > the bird succumbed to gunshot. AC-8 was believed to be more than 30
years
> > old. A matriarch of the program, she produced 12 offspring in captivity.
> > The California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife
> > Service (USFWS) are working to find the person or persons responsible
for
> > this terrible crime.
> >
> > This is an important story for everyone concerned with birds and bird
> > conservation. FOr details, see the prress release pasted below.
> >
> > The event is senseless, tragic, and will constitutes a setback for the
> > campaign to reintroduce the condors into the wild. After all, AC-8 was
a
> > functioning, experienced, and fertile condor with lots of future
> potential.
> >
> > Still, it gives one additional pause. Had there been no captive breeding
> > program initiated in the late 1980s, the California Condor would now be
> > extinct with the departure of AC-8.
> >
> > Paul
> > ABA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
> > Scott Pearson (law enforcement) 916/414-6660
> > Jim Nickles (external affairs) 916/414-6572
> > Denise Stockton, Marc Weitzel (condor recovery) 805/644-5185
> >
> >
> > California Department of Fish and Game
> > Steve Martarano 916/654-5866
> >
> >
> >
> > The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working closely with the California
> > Department of Fish and Game, is investigating the senseless shooting and
> > killing of Adult Condor 8, one of the last California condors taken into
> > captivity in the 1980s and a matriarch of the captive-breeding program.
> > AC-8 was found dead on February 13, and a subsequent necropsy determined
> > that the bird died of gunshot.
> >
> > No arrests have been made.
> >
> > One of only a few dozen endangered California condors in the wild, AC-8
> was
> > the last female condor captured in 1986 in a last-ditch effort to save
the
> > species from extinction. She spent 14 years in captivity in the
> > captive-breeding program and was the first of the original wild birds to
> be
> > released in April 2000.
> >
> > "The death of this majestic bird is a great tragedy and a tremendous
> > loss," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said. "While we have had great
> > success in our condor recovery efforts to date, we cannot accept the
> > needless loss of any of these great birds. We are actively pursuing a
full
> > investigation of this matter."
> >
> > "This unnecessary death at the hands of a poacher marks a sad day for
> > California," said California Resources Secretary Mary D.Nichols. "We
have
> > lost one of the last wild condors, but we remain committed to bringing
> back
> > these magnificent birds from the edge of
> > extinction. I call on the public to support us in that effort, and also
> > help us find the poacher responsible for this senseless killing."
> >
> >
> > With the death of AC-8, only 79 birds remain in the wild. Another 118
are
> > in captivity at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo.
> >
> >
> > AC-8 was believed to be more than 30 years old. She produced 12
offspring
> > in captivity.
> >
> > The bird's carcass was recovered in a remote area of southern Kern
> County,
> > California. The necropsy was conducted at the Service's forensics
> > laboratory in Ashland, Oregon.
> >
> > The California condor is listed as an endangered species and is
protected
> > by both federal and California law. Violation of the Federal Endangered
> > Species Act carries a maximum penalty of one year confinement and a fine
> of
> > $100,000.
> >
> > "We will not let the tragic death of AC-8 slow the forward momentum of
> > condor recovery," said Marc Weitzel, project leader of the Hopper
Mountain
> > National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the California Condor Recovery
> > Program. "AC-8's legacy will carry on. Condors are exhibiting breeding
> > behavior in the California and Arizona populations and we fully
anticipate
> > wild-born condors again in the near future."
> >
> >
> > Anyone with information regarding the shooting of AC-8 is encouraged to
> > call the Service's Office of Law Enforcement at 916/414-6664. The
Service
> > will pay a substantial reward for
> > information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or
persons
> > involved. The amount of the award will be determined by the value to the
> > investigation of the information provided.
> >
> > Those with information can also call the Department of Fish and Game's
> > CalTIP Program line at 1-888-DFG-CALTIP.
> >
> > The Service's California Condor Recovery Program is a multi-entity
effort
> > to recover the endangered species. Partners include the U.S.Forest
> Service,
> > San Diego Wild Animal Park, Los Angeles Zoo, California Department of
Fish
> > and Game, the Peregrine Fund, and
> > Ventana Wilderness Sanctuary. The newest Mexican partners include the
> > Center for Scientific Investigation and Graduate Studies in Ensenada and
> La
> > Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.
> >
> > Beginning in 1992, the Service began reintroducing captive-bred condors
to
> > the wild. Birds have been released near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, in
> the
> > Ventana Wilderness and the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge
> Complex
> > in California, and -- most recently -- in Baja California, Mexico.
> >
> >
> >
> > Note to the news media: For photos and B-roll of AC-8, contact
> > Denise Stockton at 805/644-5185
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > To Post a message, send it to: birdwords@eGroups.com
> >
> > To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
birdwords-unsubscribe@eGroups.com
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> ************************************
> * PLEASE DO NOT OPEN OR SEND ATTACHMENTS ON * THIS LIST!
> *
> * To post message, email to:
> * sd-birds@science.northern.edu
> *
> * To subscribe to "sd-birds" discussion group,
> * email at: majordomo@science.northern.edu with
> * message body "subscribe sd-birds <your name>"
> * making certain not to use a subject heading or
> * signature file. (Leave quotes "" out of text...)
> *
> * To unsubscribe to "sd-birds" email at:
> * majordomo@science.northern.edu with message
> * body "unsubscribe sd-birds" making certain not to
> * use subject headings or signature files.
> *
> * Report any problems to:
> * tallmand@northern.edu
> ************************************
>
>
>