Among the residents of coastal Big Sur displaced by the remote area’s ongoing fire are dozens of endangered California condors that have been carefully bred and released into the Ventana Wilderness. Two weeks ago, the Coast Guard airlifted eight young birds that were not ready for release from a holding pen at Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur to another shelter at Pinnacles National Monument. But wildlife experts are worried about the 43 condors living in the wild in the Big Sur area – particularly three chicks in nests within the fire zone. “We can’t presume anything, but those chicks have a major uphill battle to survive,” said biologist Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society. Sorenson said the fire had kept observers out of condor territory for a week. Aerial surveillance indicated that one...
[read full story]
Your Web Site
