External Affairs Program

Poacher Shoots one of the Last Original California Condors

February 20, 2003

03-17

Contacts:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Scott Pearson (law enforcement) 916/414-6660 or
Jim Nickles (external affairs) 916/414-6572 or
Denise Stockton, Marc Weitzel (condor recovery) 805/644-5185

California Department of Fish and Game
Steve Martarano 916/654-5866

POACHER SHOOTS ONE OF THE
LAST ORIGINAL CALIFORNIA CONDORS

Reward offered; hotline set up at 916/414-6664

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 Service's 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

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.