California Condor #303 aka "Lucia"

Ventana Wildlife Society My Condor Blog Sign up for eAlerts Facebook Theodore Condor Condor Photos at Flickr YouTube Life History Lead Poisoning

Hatchday: April 22, 2003 Hatch location San Diego Wild Animal Park Sex: Female Current Status: Died from Lead Poisoning Offspring: none Current location: Monterey and San Benito County, CA

Condor #303 “Lucia” spent most of her time as a young condor in the Santa Lucia Mountains in Big Sur, California. She became acquainted with Pinnacles condors on the east side of the Salinas Valley and regularly traveled between the two sites. In 2009, she paired up with Pinnacles’ condor #313 and established a nesting territory there, the first in over 70 years. Unfortunately, Lucia died after ingesting lead. The lead fragment was analyzed by researchers at the University of California. The fragment was consistent with lead ammunition. Lead poisoning remains the biggest hurdle to recovery. Lead ammunition can enter the condors’ food supply through various shooting activities including big game hunting, euthanized livestock, poaching and perhaps other ways as well. In July 2008, the State of California banned lead ammunition for big game hunting in condor range. If you shoot firearms, please use nonlead ammunition, not just for the sake condors but other wildlife as well.

Wild Population

Field Notes

Timeline

Geography