A condor chick at the LA Zoo.
They feed on carrion and roost in nests.
In 1982, only 22 California condors existed.
A condor chick at the LA Zoo. (Photo:LA Zoo)
But impressive conservation efforts over the last five decades have raised this number to 561 birds.
Usually in the wild they have one chick at a time, raising it exclusively.
They first attempted in 2017 to allow adoptive condor parents to raise two eggs.
Then, in 2023, they tried three.
Both amounts did not seem to phase the condors.
This year, six chicks were raised in trios, eight in pairs, and three as only children.
They will then be released into the wild, if researchers deem them capable of surviving and thriving.
Currently, of the 561 California condors living, 344 are in the wild.
