The California Living Museum will introduce its newest residents — two male California condors — which were recently transferred to CALM from the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation in Clackamas, Oregon, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service California Condor Recovery Team.
In 1982, there were only 22 known condors to exist in the wild. The last of the free-flying condors were taken into captivity in 1987 in order to save the species from extinction and for use in a captive breeding program.
There were no California condors in the wild between 1988 and 1991. The California Condor Recovery Program started re-introducing captive-bred condors back into the wild in 1992. Releases continue to be conducted annually.
Today, there are 240 free-flying birds in California, Arizona, Utah, Baja California, and Mexico with another 210 in captivity.
