Page 24
The INDEPENDENT, July 21, 2005
Zoo’s California condor facility currently in phase II construction
The Oregon Zoo’s 16 Cali
fornia condors at the Jonsson
Center for Wildlife Conserva
tion will soon have more room
for nesting and breeding, as
well as a new training space
where they’ll learn the ins and
outs of condor customs and
culture prior to being released
into the wild. Construction on
phase two is under way with
construction on the third (final)
phase scheduled to begin on
August 1. The expansion
should be completed by Octo
ber 24.
The expansion includes a
mesh-covered breeding facility
plus the addition of a mesh-cov
ered pre-release “boot camp”
area with a small holding build
ing. A $235,000 contribution to
the Oregon Zoo Foundation
from Erik Jonsson, representing
the Jonsson family, enabled the
zoo to continue with these final
phases of construction.
The breeding facility addition
is approximately 19,500 square
feet and provides for eight addi
tional breeding pairs in two
buildings.
The “boot cam p” pre-release
pens, when finished, will pro
vide young condors the final
round of training needed before
they are sent to the wild for re
lease.
“Although there are no im
mediate plans to release con
dors in Oregon, I believe the
expansion at the Jonsson Cen
ter for W ildlife Conservation
brings us closer to one day
seeing California condors in
Oregon skies,” says Oregon
Zoo Director Tony Vecchio.
The last condors were seen
in Oregon in 1904, near the
town of Drain, in southwest
Oregon. Condors held out a lit
tle longer in California, but in
1987, there were only 27 left in
the wild. In an attempt to save
the species, biologists decided
to place all the remaining con
dors into a captive breeding
program.
W hen
Congress
passed
the
Endangered
Species Act in 1973, the Califor
nia condor was one of the origi
nal animals included on the list.
Condors have a long history
in Oregon. Archeologists have
unearthed 9,000-year-old con
dor bones from Native Ameri
can middens. The condor was
a common design motif of the
Wasco people, who lived along
the Columbia River from The
Dalles to Cascade Locks-the
condor was considered a
helper to the native peoples
and a key character in many
myths.
The Oregon Zoo is the fourth
organization in the nation invit
ed to join the California Condor
Recovery Program. The recov
ery goal for the condor program
is to establish a captive popula
tion of 150 birds and two sepa
rate wild populations of con
dors (150 each), one in Califor
nia and the other in Arizona.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the California Condor Re
covery Program coordinate and
implement the recovery efforts
and provide oversight of all pro
gram partners.
Condors are the largest land
birds in North America, with
wingspans of up to ten feet,
and weigh between 18 and 24
pounds. They are highly intelli
gent and inquisitive, often en
gaging in play. During the Pleis
tocene Era, which ended about
10,000 years ago, the condors’
range extended across much of
North America. By 1940, the
range was reduced to the
coastal mountains of southern
California.
The zoo opens at 9:00 a.m.
daily and is located just off
Highway 26. The zoo is also
accessible by MAX light rail
line.
G eneral adm ission is
$9.50 (12-64), seniors $8
(65+), children $6.50 (3-11),
and infants two and under are
free. A parking fee of $1 per car
is also required. Additional in
form ation
is available
at
«cwww.oregonzoo.org> or by
calling 503-226-1561.
(Momma
(Morning (Mist
Out On A Limb
919 Bridge St. • Vernonia • 503-429-7009
(More
(gifts
919 Bridge St.* Vernonia • 503-429-7009
M$CKBEAR
COFPEE COMPANYf f c
VERNONIA, OREGON
You LUon’t Be Late, LUe Rre Open Until 8:00!
Jeanette's
Collectables
503-429-0215
854 Bridge Street
and
503-429-0335
902 Bridge Street
Vernonia
B eginning in August,
Every 2nd and 4th
Thursday, We w ill be
open u n til 8:00 p.m .
August
September
October
November
December
11 & 5
9 & 23
14&28
11 & 25
9 & 23
«Ihe Clever Cricl^»
831 Bridge Street
Vernonia
503 429 0214
503-429-4102
715 Bridge Street
Vernonia
© u e k l£ b £ r r y
C o tta g e
New, Used and Handmade Items for
711 Bridge Street Children and Their Familits
971-998-2223
a Treasure awaits you
503-429-0706902 Bridge Street