00:00At the San Diego Zoo, wildlife experts have helped welcome the 250th California condor
00:07chick into the world. As excited as the chick's parents, zookeepers are hailing the successful
00:13hatch as an important milestone for the critically endangered species.
00:18Reuters reports the world population of California condors was estimated at 561 at the end of 2022,
00:26including 347 free-flying birds in three western states and Mexico, and 214 in captivity,
00:35according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
00:39Seeing the success that not only the safari park has had, but the whole program in general
00:44has been really inspiring. There's still a long way to go, but to be a part of that and to
00:49be
00:49involved in helping the species recover has been life-changing.
00:54Considered one of the largest flying birds in the world, the California condor has a wingspan of
01:00up to nine feet and weighs more than 20 pounds on average. Considering that the condor population
01:06fell to just 22 birds in 1980, it's safe to say the San Diego Zoo has been doing amazing work
01:14in saving this beautiful species.
