Biologists from The Peregrine Fund are transporting a California Condor release enclosure from Boise to Northern Arizona. The 2,000 pound enclosure is eight feet wide, twenty feet long, and five feet tall. In addition, a ten foot by 20 foot camouflaged fly pen is attached to the front. The enclosure was constructed and will be disassembled at the World Center for Birds of Prey. It will be transported in a trailer to Northern Arizona where it will be reassembled on top of the Vermilion Cliffs.

In January of 1996 The Peregrine Fund was selected by the Department of the Interior to conduct releases of California Condors in the Grand Canyon area. Up to nine California Condors will be transported to the area and released in the wild in early summer. The young condors to be released are at the Los Angeles Zoo and are from captive propagation facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

"We are pleased to put the release expertise we have developed over the past twenty years to use with the California Condor", stated Dr. William A. Burnham, President of The Peregrine Fund. "The Grand Canyon area is an excellent location for the California Condor since it is former habitat and it should provide excellent opportunities for public viewing," finished Burnham.

In 1992, The Peregrine Fund was selected by the Department of the Interior as the site for the third captive propagation facility for the California Condor. Ten California Condors arrived in September of 1993 and an additional ten arrived in November of 1994.

The site proposed in northern Arizona, the Vermilion Cliffs in Coconino County, is on Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The area is about 30 miles north of Grand Canyon National Park.

The Peregrine Fund, a Boise, Idaho based non-profit conservation organization primarily responsible for restoration of the Peregrine Falcon in the United States has been asked by the Department of the Interior to manage the Arizona condor release. The Peregrine Fund is also part of the California Condor breeding program along with the San Diego Zoological Society and the Los Angeles Zoo. The Peregrine Fund has extensive experience in releasing endangered species having released over 4,000 birds in their 25 year history. They have developed techniques for release of the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcons, Harris Hawk, Bat Falcon, Mauritius Kestrel, Aplomado Falcon, Elf Owl, and currently is involved with the releases of Andean Condors in Colombia, South America.

For more information, contact:

Erin Katzner

Director of Global Engagement

Main Phone:208-362-3716

Direct Phone:208-362-8277