Media Resources:
Downloadable photos, videos, b-roll: https://flic.kr/s/aHskFfygVW
- Collaboration of Santa Barbara Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cerberus Interactive
- Players Act as Zookeepers, Field Biologists & Veterinarians; Incubate California Condor Eggs, Release Chicks into the Wild, Establish their Own Flock
- Innovative Technology Connects Players with Nature & Engages Them in Conservation
- Free, for Android and IOS Starting October 25; www.condorcountrygame.com
Santa Barbara, CA, October 18, 2016 – Condor Country, a new mobile game, allows players to experience what it’s like to save an endangered species, based on real-life conservation practices used by the California Condor Recovery Program.
Released for Android and IOS devices on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, the game simulates the actual activities of zookeepers and field biologists who are on the frontlines to help save this federally endangered species from extinction. Gamers will have eggs to hatch, chicks to release into the wild, and a flock of condors to monitor for real health threats including lead poisoning.
Developed through a collaboration of the Santa Barbara Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and Cerberus Interactive, Condor Country is free to download for both Android and IOS; visit www.condorcountrygame.com for more information. Proceeds from optional in-game purchases will help continue the Zoo’s many ongoing conservation and education programs.
“We are revolutionizing the way that people can connect to endangered species and to the people working to save them,” said Paul Souza, Regional Director of the Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Through this interactive technology, people across the globe can become immersed in day-to-day conservation work in remote locations. We hope to spark curiosity about condors, and inspire players to try to see them in the wild.”
A companion Study Guide has been developed to aid teachers in the classroom or players wanting more information, and will be available after game launch at www.condorcountrygame.com. Players are also able to earn special golden feathers to speed up game play by opting to learn more about condor conservation.
California condors, North America’s largest land bird, have teetered on the edge of extinction since the 1960s, and were listed as federally endangered in 1967. The California Condor Recovery Program worked diligently for more than 40 years to recover the condor population. Due to intensive efforts, such as those simulated in the Condor Country game, the Recovery partners have grown the population from a staggering low of 22 individual birds in 1982 to more than 450 birds in 2016. The partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, zoos and government agencies in the United States and Mexico, nonprofit wildlife organizations, and National Park Service, among others. (See below.)
“Condor Country allows you to be part of the dedicated, passionate, and determined California condor conservation community and see the fruit of your labor as your very own condor flock grows, matures, and begins to nest in the wild,” said Michael Brady, project leader for the Service’s Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex in southern California, which provides roosting, breeding, and foraging habitat for the federally endangered California condor in the wild.
Characters in the game include a zookeeper who shows players how to incubate condor eggs; a field biologist who shares expertise on tagging, releasing, and monitoring birds in the wild; a field veterinarian who helps players treat birds sick with lead poisoning or from ingesting microtrash; and a benefactor who donates money each time the wild condors are detected by players.
“There is no win or lose in the game; it is about establishing a wild condor flock capable of raising chicks and producing more condors,” said Dr. Estelle Sanhaus, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Director of Conservation and Research. “But just like in real life, there are losses. Condors die from lead poisoning. Eggs are infertile. But the California condor can be saved, in spite of setbacks. If the condor can do it, then other endangered species can. That’s our message.”
Real wild locations are used in Condor Country. Cerberus Interactive visually recreated, using 3-D assets and hand-painted imagery, the habitats of Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Southern California, Big Sur on the Central California Coast, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Authentic flight pens, incubators, wing tags, and transmitters are also rendered.
A telemetry mini-game keeps track of each condor the player has released in the wild. Players trap and treat condors for lead poisoning, so they can mature into adults and nest. Players also search for eggs laid in the wild, and find microtrash which can be harmful if ingested by adult condors or fed to their chicks.
Original music was composed by songwriter Adrian McKinnon who has collaborated on multi-platinum songs for K-Pop artists including Shinee (“Married to the Music”) and EXO (“They Never Know”).
Condor Country builds upon efforts by the Recovery Program to personalize the plight of this scavenger which has soared the skies since the Pleistocene era, and once feasted on dead woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. The California Condor Cam features a live-stream of condor parents raising their chick in the wild (http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/49/California_Condor), and the Condor Cave Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheCondorCave) posts videos, photos, and engaging content about the flock in Southern California, using hashtags such as #keepcalmandcarrion, #condorsarecuterthankittens, and #fledgingfriday.
CondorKids, an environmental education program about condor conservation created by the Service and the Zoo, offers a free 27-lesson plan curriculum for third grade teachers, and was a winner of the 2016 California Association of Museums Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education (www.condorkids.net).
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The California Condor Recovery Program (Recovery Program) is a multi-entity effort, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to recover the endangered California condor. Partners in condor recovery include the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Game and Fish Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Utah Department of Fish and Wildlife, the federal government of Mexico, the Yurok Tribe, San Diego Zoo Global, Los Angeles Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo, The Peregrine Fund, Ventana Wildlife Society, University of California at Santa Cruz, West Virginia University, Colorado State University, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian Institution. Visit https://www.fws.gov/cno/es/calcondor/Condor.cfm
The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of botanic gardens and is home to nearly 500 individual animals in open, naturalistic habitats. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), representing the highest level of animal care, and participates in AZA endangered species programs for Asian elephant, California condor, Channel Island fox, and Western lowland gorilla, among others. A private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Zoo depends on community support, not tax dollars, for operations and improvements. Visit www.sbzoo.org.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. Visit www.fws.gov.
Cerberus Interactive is a custom mobile game development studio. Cerberus employs a host of talented artists, designers, musicians and developers. The company encompasses an "end to end" development philosophy, focusing on art concepts, sound designs, game designs and coding. Cerberus Interactive has developed custom games for a wide range of clients, including Cisco. The company's vision is to make high quality custom games accessible at reasonable prices. Visit www.cerberusinteractive.com
