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$40K Reward Offered for Condor Shooter

Green groups hire private eye to probe California attack

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 10, 2009 4:18 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Environmental groups probing the shotgun shooting of two California condors have hired a private eye and raised $40,500 in reward money for information leading to the culprits, the Los Angeles Times reports. The condors—two of just 81 in California and 322 in the world—were found last month suffering lead poisoning from shotgun pellets and may never fly again.

"I believe that the reward will loosen tongues in rural areas where times are tough right now," said the private investigator. "These shootings need to stop right now."

A California Condor flies under the sun in the Los Padres National Forest east of Big Sur. Two of the endangered birds were found in the area with shotgun injuries.
A California Condor flies under the sun in the Los Padres National Forest east of Big Sur. Two of the endangered birds were found in the area with shotgun injuries.   (AP Photo/Ventana Wildlife Society, Joe Burnett)
This California Condor was brought to the Los Angeles Zoo last month for treatment of lead poisoning from a shotgun pellet.
This California Condor was brought to the Los Angeles Zoo last month for treatment of lead poisoning from a shotgun pellet.   (AP Photo/Pinnacles National Monument)
An X-ray of a California condor shows shotgun pellets in the bird, which appear as white spots.
An X-ray of a California condor shows shotgun pellets in the bird, which appear as white spots.   (AP Photo/Los Angeles Zoo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Rob
Apr 10, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
It's terrible, but the condor is pretty far gone. The money could be better spent on other organisms better placed for saving.
Rob
Apr 10, 2009 9:18 AM CDT
That’s really funny, collusive. But I doubt you would be smart enough to recognize an evolutionary biologist if you delivered a pizza to his house, let alone by making snarky and illiterate remarks on a thread you have obviously no idea about save some silly knee-jerk, uneducated opinions. But you go, girl!
Rob
Apr 10, 2009 9:15 AM CDT
The reduced number for the eagle was in the lower 48 states so they still had good numbers in Canada and Alaska. The northern refugia and reduction in DDT helped the comeback of the eagle in the south. The condor is probably more on the way out because it is a Pleistocene holdover rather than a more direct effect of human interaction. In which case the ability to save them is greatly hampered by major environmental change rather than urbanization or hunting.

Conservationists seek ban on lead ammo to protect condors
Monterey Herald

Shot condors being treated at LA zoo
Associated Press

 
endangered species • California • birds • private investigator • Condor

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