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Condor Egg Hatches at Pinnacles National Monument for the 1st Time in 100 Years
Just a month after two condors laid an egg within Pinnacles National Monument, news came yesterday that a baby has hatched. For park rangers, this is a big deal because it hasn't happened in over 100 years within park borders.
“We are thrilled that after being involved with the Condor Recovery Program since 2003, the park has its first condor chick from the first nest in over 100 years,” said Eric Brunnemann, Park Superintendent. “…and conveniently Condors 317 and 318 chose a nest cave that can be easily viewed by the public from the Scout Peak bench on the High Peaks Trail." But be warned, the two-mile hike from the closest parking lots is strenuous--as in an elevation gain of 1100 to 1200 feet.
The successful hatching comes on the heels of two Bald Eagle hatchlings on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. Both Bald Eagles and California Condors populations have depleted on park properties where rangers work to restore the land for the birds and other wildlife. Unlike with the eagles, there is no live webcam to monitor the condors.