A U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service-led program is working hard to save the California condor, the largest land bird in North America.
This bird, also known as the vulture, is endangered, but the program is making strides in its recovery.
The California condor population had plummeted in the 1980s, with only about two dozen left in the wild.
In an effort to save the species, the last known California condor living in the wild was captured and put into a captive breeding program in 1987.
Today, there are more than 500 condors worldwide, with about half living in the wild.
However, some of the same problems that led to their demise in the 1980s are still threatening the birds, with about 50% of known causes of death attributed to lead poisoning.
A new California law took effect in 2019 banning hunters from using lead ammunition, which has helped reduce the threat.
The hope is that this, combined with other efforts, will one day allow the California condor population to soar on its own.
