06/01/2026
Sequoia Park Zoo is happy to share that all condors in the wild, local flock appeared healthy during this spring’s health assessments! We are proud to be part of the Northern California Condor Restoration Program.
Your visits to the zoo help support this wild flock through our Quarters for Conservation program! Annual vaccines and medical supplies for the California condors’ biannual health assessments are paid for through the Sequoia Park Zoo Condor Care Fund. Donations to the fund can be made at https://hafoundation.org/our-funds/sequoia-park-zoo-condor-care-fund/
A detailed update from the Yurok Tribe:
“The free-flying condors over Yurok ancestral territory all appeared healthy in their annual spring health checkups.
With all exams complete, none of the birds have tested high enough in circulating blood lead to require treatment. Only one bird had a slightly elevated blood level, indicating exposure.
Condors A1 (studbook 969), and A0 (studbook 973) were the first of the flock to nest this spring, but it was determined last month that the egg was not viable. Based on a small chance that they might try to re-nest this season, Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP) staff decided not to trap A0, the female of the pair, to save her undue stress should she be carrying an egg.
Exams are stressful for condors and other wildlife, explained NCCRP Manager Chris West, and it wasn’t worth the risk of complications to a potentially developing egg. A0’s transmitters are currently working properly, and NCCRP was also heartened by the low lead in the rest of the flock.
Examinations also include testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (known as bird flu or HPAI) exposure and feather sampling to determine historical lead exposure. Staff and veterinarians gave the birds head to toe physical exams and checked vital signs, weight, and feather growth.
NCCRP staff also replaced six failed radio transmitters and two failed GPS units on the birds, to ensure ongoing monitoring of the flock. Staff use these transmitters to track the birds, giving valuable insights into their movements and behavior. It was this monitoring that helped the team determine A1 and A0 were nesting in first place, as their nest was in too remote a region to visit physically. The monitors can also alert staff to possible illness or injury to a bird, allowing for possible response to render aid.
Throughout the duration of the project, the crew wore N95 respirators per the California Condor Recovery Program Health Team’s protocols to protect staff and birds from the potential of exposure to zoonotic diseases, (infectious diseases which can be spread between non-human animals and humans) especially HPAI.
The next cohort of condors will be transferred to the NCCRP field site in July. They will spend time in the NCCRP flight pen, acclimating to local conditions and getting familiar with each other and the local condors before their release into the wild throughout the fall.
Lead is the single biggest threat to condors in the wild and is responsible for nearly half of released condor mortalities where the cause of death is determined. A tiny lead bullet fragment the size of the head of a pin is enough to kill not only a condor but also vultures and eagles, should they ingest it while scavenging on remains of an animal killed with lead ammunition. These important scavengers remove carcasses from the landscape and are critical in reducing the spread of disease in many game species.”
Photo 1 by NCCRP: Yurok Wildlife Department Technician Sandra Hahn releases a condor after a checkup.
Photo 2 by NCCRP: California condors awaiting their exams in the flight cage at the field site managed by the NCCRP.
Photo 3 by Sequoia Park Zoo (SPZ): SPZ Veterinarian Jennifer Tavares examines one of the condors with NCCRP Manager Chris West.
Photo 4 by SPZ: Zoo Keeper Ruth Mock during condor B3 (studbook 1193)’s exam.
Photo 5 by SPZ: Lead test results showing no detectable level of lead in a condor’s blood sample. Every condor’s blood is tested immediately in the field so that the team will know if a chelation treatment for lead poisoning is required. This result is exactly what the team wants to see!
