The first egg to be laid by a re-introduced California Condor occurred on March 25, in the Grand Canyon National Park. Biologists from The Peregrine Fund discovered the egg in a cave in the Grand Canyon after observing nesting behavior at the same location for the past several days. The egg was found broken, not an unusual occurrence for condors on their first nesting attempt.
"It was so incredible, I kept doubting that it was really an egg at first," exclaimed Sophie Osborn, field biologist for The Peregrine Fund. "Although my first reaction was that it was an egg, since it would be the first from a re-introduced condor, I had to control my emotions and confirm what I was seeing," continued Osborn. "Any doubt I had was gone a short time later when a condor flew into the cave and moved the egg around. As soon as I was able to confirm that it was in fact an egg, I was able to express my elation and immediately called the office. It was a remarkable sight, a remarkable moment, and I wanted to share it with my co-workers who have worked so long and hard toward this day!" finished Osborn.
The female condor who laid the egg hatched in March of 1995. She was released on the Vermilion Cliffs with eight other condors in May of 1997. The re-introduction effort is part of a joint project between The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Game and Fish, National Park Service (NPS), CORE, and numerous other partners. The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boise, Idaho, is conducting the release with funding provided from the private sector. Regular updates from biologists can be found on The Peregrine Fund
