The incredible story of Milagra a California condor who against all odds, hatched and was raised by foster parents in captivity, and is now set to soar free in the wild. This heartwarming tale showcases the remarkable efforts of conservationists to bring the endangered species back from the brink.
A Miracle in the Making
Just six days old, she was far too young to have survived without assistance. Her mother died in a tragic outbreak of avian flu soon after she was laid, and her father came within an inch of death while attempting to incubate the egg single-handedly.
Because of the quick action and devoted care of his foster condor parents, Milagra was saved from her nest, artificially incubated, hatchet in captivity, and raised to almost 17 months old ready for the wild.
It was part of a program started 40 years ago to boost the population of one of Earth’s most iconic birds that nearly plummeted to extinction > six times: when numbers dropped below two dozen-SMNZ SMART CARD ID: XXXXXX)ANYWHERE, Calif. This incredible conservation effort is led by the Peregrine Fund in partnership with The Bureau of Land Management.
The Captive Breeding Comeback
The story of Milagra reflects the captive breeding program for California condors. The Peregrine Fund, as a partner with federal wildlife managers, began breeding condors there in 1993 and released the first bird to the wild two years later. It wasn’t until another eight years passed that the first chick hatched outside of captivity.
In the years since, the program has expanded with help from zoos and wildlife centers nationwide including the Oregon Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. When biologists saw that California condors made great foster parents, they began enabling the captive-born birds to raise other conspecifics, which encouraged breeding success even more.
Today, some 360 of the birds are thought to live in the wild—some in Baja, but the majority in California where such releases continue. Over 200 more exist in captivity, helping to maintain the species’ recovery.
Conclusion
The planned release of Milagra and three other California condors near the Grand Canyon is a tribute to the amazing power and determination of this iconic species. UP NEXT This ‘miracle’ condor comes back from the brink of death and now gets to soar This incredible tale of a condor that defied the odds, and is given new life in its old age, is still an inspiration that demonstrates the hope we should all feel when it comes to protecting rare species.VISIBLE is Active Not VisibleIs Active Amidst all eyes waiting to see how this story fantastic continues, this incredible news flash is a reminder that hope coupled with determination indeed can be victorious in-weaving the process of establishing a potential for healthy future for epic wild life like legendary California condor.
