Utah wildlife officials say the recent killing of California condors by poachers along with a recent strain of avian flu set back recovery efforts for the species by more than a decade.
"The illegal killing of these two condors is a devastating and unnecessary loss on top of all the recent deaths from the highly pathogenic avian influenza," said Russel Norvell, the avian conservation program coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, in a statement.
"Between the two events, we've lost more than a decade's worth of progress in the recovery of this species," Norvell added. According to last week's press release, poachers killed two condors in the past two years.
Authorities discovered the first case in the fall of 2022 in a remote area of Cedar City, north of Zion National Park. The second case happened last month in the same area. In both cases, the poachers used firearms to kill the birds. However, little has been publicly reported since then.
"It's unclear if the two incidents are connected or what type of firearm was used," officials said, adding that previous leads about those responsible have not yet yielded results.
Given their dwindling populations, California condors are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. With those protections, it's against federal law to harass or harm the birds in any way. What's more, individuals who do could face third-degree felony charges. If convicted, he or she would face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
In turn, Utah wildlife officials are asking for the public's help to find the poachers. They're asking the public to report tips by calling their hotline, submitting them, or contacting the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The California condor populations
The California condor population has grown steadily since the federal government launched efforts to protect the species. In the past 37 years, it has jumped from 22 to approximately 560, federal data shows.
However, the global population has been stagnating since around 2015. The data shows some 446 reported in 2016, then more than 460 in 2017, and then a total of 561 in 2022. Of that total, 347 live in the while while 214 live in captivity.
