@utahaazk: Today we celebrate Endangered Species Day 💖 A special day dedicated to protecting threatened wildlife and their habitats. There are so many conservation success stories, showing how putting in the effort truly makes a difference. The California condor is one of those successes. In 1987, they were functionally extinct, with only 22 individuals left in the wild. They were all brought into a captive breeding program and in 1992, the first captive-bred California condor was released back into the wild. Today, there are more than 600 individuals! What a comeback 🎉 Why are these birds so important? * California condors are vultures * Vultures play a vital role in our ecosystem * Vultures are the clean up crew, quickly devouring rotting carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. Their stomach acid kills pathogens like rabies, anthrax, botulism and cholera * Without vultures, carcasses would take much longer to decompose, creating a breeding ground for diseases and causing environmental degradation What caused their near extinction? * Lead poisoning from eating carcasses with lead bullet fragments * Habitat destruction * Poaching and egg 🥚 collection * Power line collisions * Low reproduction rates where the condor only lays one egg every 2 years * Egg shell thinning due to DDT How can you help the California Condor? * Switch to non-lead ammunition * Eliminate microtrash from natural habitats * Support dedicated conservation groups #Endangeredspeciesday #conservation #californiacondor #zionnationalpark #utahaazk 📸: Julie @Zion National Park

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Friday 15 May 2026 13:11:20 GMT