Santa Barbara Zoo - Condors Condor Country

Captured from the Wild

  1. This wild male condor is estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and raised by wild parents. With his mate, #11 (called Tama by researchers), #2 produced wild chick #21 (originally known as AC9), who in 1987 would become the last condor taken from the wild and placed into the captive breeding program. #2 was also the sire of the first egg to be taken by researchers and hatched at a zoo. #2 and #11 produced an additional six eggs, which were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-raised, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. #2 soared in the wild until he disappeared in the winter of 1984-85. He is related to all four California condors at the Santa Barbara Zoo: a grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #433; a great-grandparent of #432 and #439; and a great-great-grandparent of #440.
  2. This bird is a male condor, estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and raised by wild parents. With mate #12 (originally known as AC8), #3 produced six eggs in the wild, including the one that would hatch to become condor #25 (originally known as Xolxol), who was the first condor in the Recovery’s captive breeding program. Several other of these eggs were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-reared, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. #3 soared in the wild until he disappeared in the winter of 1984-85. #3 is a great-grandparent of all four the Santa Barbara Zoo’s condors.
  3. This wild male condor is estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and raised by wild parents. Researchers gave him the designation AC7. With mate #8, #4 raised two chicks in the wild who were later captured for the captive breeding program and, with their mates, produced many eggs – greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. This bird soared in the wild until he disappeared in the winter of 1984-85. #4 is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #440.
  4. A male condor, estimated to have hatched in 1976 and been raised by wild parents. Given the designation AC6 by researchers, #5 was captured in April 1986 and moved to the captive breeding facility at the Los Angeles Zoo. With his first mate, #36 (known as Pismo), #5 produced an amazing 16 eggs, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. Most chicks were hand-reared, but two were raised by foster condor parents, and one by #5 and his mate, California condor #36. In 2003, #36 was transferred to allow more genetic diversity in the captive condor population. #5 then mated with #121 (known as Elewese) and have produced eggs every year since. #5 is one of the “founding fathers” of the California condor recovery program, and still lives at the Los Angeles Zoo. With #36, this bird is a grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #432.
  5. This male condor was estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and been raised by wild parents. Researchers gave him the designation AC2 (also known as the “ Santa Barbara male”). With mate #10 (known as AC3 and as the “ Santa Barbara female”), #6 produced seven eggs in the wild, several of which were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-raised, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. Many of the wild offspring were later captured for the captive breeding program and are still alive today. Number 10 died from lead poisoning in January 1986. #6 was captured in December 1986 and taken to the breeding facility at the Los Angeles Zoo. In 1990, he was transferred to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, where he mated with #35 (known as Inaja) and produced 12 eggs. #6 was then rereleased into the wild in June 2005 and died in September 2005 from unknown causes (though elevated levels of lead were found in the bones, it is unknown if that contributed to death). With #10, #6 is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condors #432, #433, and #439.
  6. A female condor, estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and raised by wild parents. With mate #4 (known as AC7), #8 raised two chicks in the wild who were later captured for the captive breeding program and, with their mates, produced many eggs – greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. #8 soared in the wild until she disappeared in the winter of 1984-85. With #4, she is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #440.
  7. This female condor is estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and been raised by wild parents. She was given the designation of AC3 by researchers. With mate #6 (known as AC2 and also as the “ Santa Barbara male”) #10 produced seven eggs in the wild, several of which were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-raised, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. Many of #10's wild offspring were later captured for the captive breeding program and are still alive today. #10 was captured in January 1986, critically ill, and taken to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, where she died on January 18, 1986. #10's death from lead poisoning led to the capture of the remaining condors in the wild later that year. This bird is the California condor that is on display, hanging from the ceiling, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. With #6, #10 is also a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condors #432, #433, and #439.
  8. This female condor, known as Tama, is estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and been raised by wild parents. With mate #2, #11 produced wild chick #21 (known as AC9), who in 1987 would become the last condor taken from the wild and placed into the captive breeding program. #11 also produced the very first egg to be taken by researchers and hatched at a zoo. #11 and #2 produced an additional five eggs, which were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-raised, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. Sadly, #11's mate, # 2, died in the wild in 1984 and #11 was captured in September 1985 and taken to the captive breeding facility at the Los Angeles Zoo. She then mated with #46 (known as Mandan, captive bred) and produced an amazing 12 eggs, including three eggs in one season; all the chicks were hand-raised. #11 and #46 transferred to the Portland Zoo captive breeding facility in 2003 and have since produced five eggs – the last two chicks they raised. #11 is still at the Portland Zoom and with #2, is a great-grandparent of all four of the Santa Barbara Zoo’s condors.
  9. A female condor, estimated to have been hatched in the wild around 1976, and raised by wild parents. She was given the designation AC8 by researchers who followed her nesting successes and failures closely beginning in 1981. With mate #3, #12 produced six eggs in the wild. One egg which hatched in the wild became condor #25 (known as Xolxol), the first addition to the captive breeding program; other eggs were taken by researchers to be hatched and hand-reared. After the death of #12's wild mate, #3, in 1984, she mated with #21 (originally known as AC9, wild born) and produced the last egg in the wild, which was taken to the Wild Animal Park. That condor, #44, still lives there and is a grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #440. #12 was captured in June 1986 and taken to the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s captive breeding facility where she mated with #7 (originally known as AC5, wild born) to produce eight eggs. #12 was re-released into the wild in 2002 after 14 years in captivity and returned to the same roost trees and flight patterns from before her capture. She was shot and killed while roosting in a tree on Tejon Ranch in February 2003 and is on display at the Tribal Council Hall of the Santa Ynez Band of the Chumash Indians. #12 is a great-grandparent of all four Santa Barbara Zoo condors; three with #3, and one (#440) with #21.
  10. This female condor is estimated to have hatched in the wild around 1976 and been raised by wild parents. She was given the designation of UN-1 by researchers. #13 was captured in January 1985 and taken to the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s captive breeding facility where she mated with #20 (originally known as AC4, also hatched in the wild) to produce the first egg ever hatched in captivity. #13 and #20 went on to produce five more eggs; all the chicks were hand-reared except the last one, which they raised. In 1992, to allow more genetic diversity in the captive condor population, #13 was transferred the Los Angeles Zoo captive breeding facility. She mated with #33 (known as Sequoia, wild born) to produce eight eggs. #13 died in March 1999 at the Los Angeles Zoo from unknown causes. With #20, she is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #440.
  11. This male condor is estimated to have been hatched in the wild around 1980 and been raised by wild parents. Given the designation AC4 by researchers, he was captured in June 1985. #20 mated with #13 (wild born) to produce the first egg ever hatched in captivity. #20 and #13 went on to produce five more eggs, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. All the chicks were hand-reared except the last one, which they raised. In 1992, to allow more genetic diversity in the captive condor population, #13 was transferred. #20 mated with #29 (known as Sespe, captive born) and produced an amazing 14 eggs. He later mated with #157 (known as Mexwe, captive born) and produced two eggs; those chicks were raised by condor foster parents. #20 still lives at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condors #439 (with #29) and #440 (with #13).
  12. Male condor, given the designation AC9 by researchers, hatched in the wild in 1980 and was raised by wild parents. #21 and his mate #12 (known as AC8) laid the last egg in the wild; it was taken to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. #21 was the last wild condor captured for the Recovery Program, finally netted on April 19, 1987. He was one of the most productive sires in the captive breeding program, producing 15 eggs with his mate #40 (known as Squapuni, captive born), greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. #21 was re-released into the wild to great fanfare on May 1, 2002,found yet another mate in the wild, #192, and raised two chicks, one in 2004 and another in 2007. #21 is still flying free, and with #12, is a great-grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #440.
  13. This male condor, known by the name Xolxol, was born in the wild in August 1982 and captured not long after to become the first condor in the Recovery Program, then located at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. With mate #37 (also known as Ojai, captive born), #25 produced an amazing 19 eggs, greatly increasing the condor population at a critical time in the recovery. In order to have more genetic diversity in the captive condor population, he then mated with #45 and produced an additional nine eggs. Today, #25 lives at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and with #37, is a grandparent of Santa Barbara Zoo condor #439.