The California condor is third on the list of the 100 most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) species. A majestic scavenger that once flew above the state and beyond in the thousands, there are now just 232 remaining in the wild, with 182 in zoos or captive breeding programmes. How did it get so bad?
Over the decades, human activity has taken a heavy toll: the main cause of condor deaths is ingestion of lead shot or bullet fragments from carcasses.
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