Seven young condors take flight in Yurok Country

For the classroom

California condors are very large birds that nearly disappeared. Zoos raise chicks, and parks and tribes help the young birds learn to live outside. In Yurok Country, in Northern California, the Yurok Tribe and Redwood parks released seven young condors. One of them is the 200th condor hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to go free. A release means the bird leaves human care and flies on its own. Seven is this group. Two hundred is how many Safari Park birds have now gone to the wild. That count does not mean the species is finished recovering. It means this group is out, on land where the Yurok Tribe is leading the return.

1. Why would a bird raised by people still need help learning to live outside?
2. What is the difference between seven birds in one release and two hundred birds over time?
3. Why does it matter which land a condor returns to?

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