SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The strain of avian flu that has killed millions of birds across the country is now beginning to devastate one of the flocks of endangered California Condors.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service tells ABC 10News that 21 of the roughly 100 birds that make up the Arizona flock have died from the virus. That's approximately 6% of the total wild California Condor population.
“I’m very worried. These are the things that keep you up at night," said Ashleigh Blackford, the California Condor Coordinator for USFWS.
Attempts have been made by teams in the field to capture and test wild birds. Some birds which tested positive were taken into quarantine, but such measures are not possible for the entire wild population.
A bird flu vaccine, which was created for a previous strain, is now being tested on black vultures. Another vaccine trial on California Condors at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is expected to begin in July.
Bill Toone, who helped start the California Condor conservation effort and spent years in the field, says the events of the past few months are devastating, extending his sympathy to those currently working to save the majestic birds.
"I more than once held a dying condor in my arms. When you pour your life and your days and your heart into something like this and watch that life slip away, it’s pretty tough," Toone said.
Toone says he's optimistic, pointing out that when he began working with condors decades ago, an outbreak such as this would have driven the species into extinction. He now hopes the wild population is resilient enough to survive.
However, there are concerns that when the fall migration season begins, the virus will spread from the Arizona flock to the other wild California Condor flocks, located in Central California, Baja California, and Northern California.
“It sort of feels like it’s just a matter of time and hopefully we’re just better prepared and the condors are healthy," Blackford said.
