In 1981, amid much heated controversy, the California Fish & Game Commission agreed to let zoos try captive breeding of California condors, in an effort to save the species from imminent extinction—there were only 22 birds left in their native habitat. The Zoological Society's Wild Animal Park was one of the facilities designated for the program, and a special off-exhibit facility was built at the Park to house and care for adult condors brought in from the wild. Dubbed the “Condorminium,” the off-exhibit facility in a remote area of the Park also provided space for breeding condor pairs and for raising chicks, with the hope that they could eventually be returned to native habitat. The facility was first tested by housing turkey vultures, Andean condors, and other birds of prey, as seen in this photo, before the irreplaceable California condors were brought to live there.

1981

Conservation 1977 - 1986

After receiving approval from the California Fish & Game Commission to begin breeding California condors in zoos, the Wild Animal Park built an off-exhibit facility designed to house adult condors and to allow for breeding efforts and raising chicks—it was dubbed the “Condorminium.”

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