Plan Geek from Outer Space

The magnificent Andean condor, the world's largest flying bird, has seen it's numbers decline significantly over the years and is now endangered. It was declared extinct in Venezuela 40 years ago and less than 100 still survive in Ecuador and Colombia. Between them, Chile and Argentina have about 4,000 birds, the largest remaining population.

But there are ongoing efforts to keep them from disappearing completely.

Sierra Paileman, Argentina (AP, January 27) - Timidly taking its first steps in the wild, the young condor perches on a rocky plateau as a hot breeze swirls upward from the barren Patagonian landscape.

Raised in captivity, the 1-year-old gathers the courage to attempt its first flight, unfurling its 10-foot wings and flapping skyward - before landing awkwardly on rocks a short distance away. ...

On Wednesday, two condors, one raised in captivity, the other a rescued bird, were released in Sierra Paileman, about 680 miles south of Buenos Aires, bringing to seven the number of condors freed from this spot. Across South America, 40 condors have been released to the wild since 1991.

Two others are awaiting release later in 2005 from the same fenced-in enclosure.

"Letting them go is a symbol of the condors who once flew here," said Luis Jacome, director of the Andean Condor Conservation Project. "It is important to Argentina both culturally and ecologically." ...

The Andean Condor Conservation Project, begun in 1991, has also opened a window for scientists into the habits of the giant, soaring birds that ride the thermals, traveling up to 150 miles a day to survive as scavengers in the harsh landscapes they inhabit. ...

At the conservation project, some birds are rescued, treated and released. Birds incubated in captivity are raised in the presence of latex puppets - made to look like adult condors - to prevent the chicks from imprinting on humans.

There have been disappointments in the program, too: one released condor flew into a high-voltage power line in Venezuela, one was poisoned and another was shot by hunters in Chile.

Jacome notes that educating people about the condor is still the most crucial aspect of the program, as some people still fear an adult condor could kill livestock or carry off small children.

"There is no way we can let these birds go without educating people," Jacome said. "It takes years to raise a condor and only seconds to kill it."

The Andean condor's slightly smaller cousin, the California condor, is also seriously endangered - so much so that the last free condor was captured in 1987 and they are all now raised in captivity. They also are the subject of a reintroduction effort.