Seven condors raised in captivity at the San Diego Zoo were recently relocated to a holding pen in the mountains above San Simeon. The juvenile condors are expected to remain in the holding pen to get acclimated before they are released into the wild by mid-November.
The birds are named, Pee Chee, Teech, Wahs-Ack, Moorsh, Hawk-Een. So-Toe, and Hoo-Chen. Those are names adopted from the Essalen, Salinan and Rumsen languages. Two of the names mean condor in different Native American languages. Another means “to be dark.” And another “to eat ravenously.”
Right now there are about 90 condors living on the central coast. Most fly between Big Sur and the Pinnacles near King City. Two chicks died in the recent Dolan fire. Nine other adult condors are missing after that fire.
Of 28 juveniles released from that same holding pen near San Simeon since 2016, 24 remain alive. Thanks to John Fitzrandolph for that story.
