On March 30, 1983, the first California condor egg that had ever been in a zoo began to hatch. Everyone was excited but anxious as well—this chick, later named Sisquoc after the conservation area where his egg was collected, was more precious than gold. Keepers played tape recordings of vulture sounds and they tapped on the egg as condor parents would. Zoologist Cyndi Kuehler helped the chick break out of the shell, gingerly removing eggshell pieces to help him emerge. Then she heard him squawk—and she knew he was going to be okay. She recalled that, “I wish I could say I felt happy and exhilarated—but what I really think I felt was relief. I knew we were going to be able to hatch condors.”