California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) recovery plan. Third revision.

1976, (41 FR 187). Long recognized as a vanishing species (Cooper 1890, Koford 1953, Wilbur 1978), the California condor remains one ofthe world’s rarest and most imperiled vertebrate species. Despite intensive conservation efforts, the wild California condor population declined steadily until 1987, when the last free-flying individual was captured. During the 1980s, captive condor flocks were established at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo, and the first successful captive breeding was accomplished at theformer facility in 1988. Following severalyears ofincreasingly successful captive breeding, captive-produced condors were first released back to the wild in early 1992.