$30,000 reward offered for info in shooting of two California condors

Antaletriangle · 04-07-2009, 03:14 PM

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_1...nclick_check=1

Bay City News Service

Posted: 04/06/2009 03:59:35 PM PDT

A local conservation group has established a $30,000 reward for information relating to two California condors found with shotgun wounds in recent weeks.

"It's a big reward and it's a sign to everyone that we mean business," said Adam Keats, director of the urban wildlands program for the Center for Biological Diversity. The California offices of the Arizona-based organization are closely following the condors' plight.

On March 10, biologists from the Ventana Wildlife Society in Monterey County found an adult male condor, known as 286, suffering from 15 buckshot wounds from lead buckshot pellets, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

On March 26, this rare incident became a pattern when a wounded young female condor, known as 375, was discovered in the same area in Monterey County. She had three shotgun pellets lodged in her wing and thigh.

The condor was suffering from lead poisoning, according to the Ventana Wildlife Society biologists who found the bird, now being treated at the Los Angeles Zoo.

"It's disturbingly looking like a trend, with two birds in three weeks," Keats said of the shootings.

Both birds are alive, but Keats said it's not yet clear whether they will ever be able to return to the wild. The condors were part of a flock located near Big Sur, he said, and two of only 85 condors living in the wild in California.

Conservation and captive breeding efforts begun in the mid-1980s brought this large, black bird back from the brink of extinction, but the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 40 percent of released condors die or are returned to captivity.

As an endangered species, the California condor is protected by a variety of state and federal laws. As of 2008, hunters can only use non-lead ammunition in condor habitat areas, Keats said. The birds are extremely susceptible to lead poisoning.

The California Department of Fish and Game is investigating the shootings, but has no information on leads, suspects or motives, said spokeswoman Jordan Traverso.

Incidents like this are extremely rare, and any theories on whether the shootings were accidental or purposeful would be purely speculation, Keats said.

"Almost all of them are very savvy people," he said of hunters in the area. "They know the difference between a condor and a bird they're allowed to be shooting at."

Keats said the last time a condor was shot was in 2003, and publicity surrounding the incident led to a tip-off identifying the responsible person. He hopes the $30,000 reward will cause history to repeat itself.

The Wendy P. McCaw Foundation of Santa Barbara pledged $25,000 of the reward, and the Center for Biological Diversity is providing the rest. The reward is posted for information leading to the arrest of the person, or people, responsible.

"I don't want to think about it being anything other than an isolated person," Keats said.

04-07-2009, 03:14 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	$30,000 reward offered for info in shooting of two California condors http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_1...nclick_check=1 Bay City News Service Posted: 04/06/2009 03:59:35 PM PDT A local conservation group has established a $30,000 reward for information relating to two California condors found with shotgun wounds in recent weeks. "It's a big reward and it's a sign to everyone that we mean business," said Adam Keats, director of the urban wildlands program for the Center for Biological Diversity. The California offices of the Arizona-based organization are closely following the condors' plight. On March 10, biologists from the Ventana Wildlife Society in Monterey County found an adult male condor, known as 286, suffering from 15 buckshot wounds from lead buckshot pellets, according to the California Department of Fish and Game. On March 26, this rare incident became a pattern when a wounded young female condor, known as 375, was discovered in the same area in Monterey County. She had three shotgun pellets lodged in her wing and thigh. The condor was suffering from lead poisoning, according to the Ventana Wildlife Society biologists who found the bird, now being treated at the Los Angeles Zoo. "It's disturbingly looking like a trend, with two birds in three weeks," Keats said of the shootings. Both birds are alive, but Keats said it's not yet clear whether they will ever be able to return to the wild. The condors were part of a flock located near Big Sur, he said, and two of only 85 condors living in the wild in California. Conservation and captive breeding efforts begun in the mid-1980s brought this large, black bird back from the brink of extinction, but the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 40 percent of released condors die or are returned to captivity. As an endangered species, the California condor is protected by a variety of state and federal laws. As of 2008, hunters can only use non-lead ammunition in condor habitat areas, Keats said. The birds are extremely susceptible to lead poisoning. The California Department of Fish and Game is investigating the shootings, but has no information on leads, suspects or motives, said spokeswoman Jordan Traverso. Incidents like this are extremely rare, and any theories on whether the shootings were accidental or purposeful would be purely speculation, Keats said. "Almost all of them are very savvy people," he said of hunters in the area. "They know the difference between a condor and a bird they're allowed to be shooting at." Keats said the last time a condor was shot was in 2003, and publicity surrounding the incident led to a tip-off identifying the responsible person. He hopes the $30,000 reward will cause history to repeat itself. The Wendy P. McCaw Foundation of Santa Barbara pledged $25,000 of the reward, and the Center for Biological Diversity is providing the rest. The reward is posted for information leading to the arrest of the person, or people, responsible. "I don't want to think about it being anything other than an isolated person," Keats said.