Condors and Ecuador

Captain's Log, Day 152: Passing through Quito on my way to Peru, I got the chance to visit the Tueri Foundation and Wildlife Hospital at the University of San Francisco-Quito´s vet school and clinic. This is where Andrès Ortega works when he isn't flying around the country researching and saving wildlife himself, and also where we will all (hopefully) come on April 8th to venture forth and pick up Guambi, a young male Condor who will be Amaru's first. It's been a big year for Condor conservation in Ecuador...

...and for Endangered Species Protection Laws, in general. The Andean Condor is an icon in Ecuador and other Andean countries, and for the first time last year, a man was tried and sentenced to six months' jail time for killing a Condor. As Ernesto recounted to me last time I was with Amaru, the sentencing really made an impression on the general public. People who buy parrots and monkeys in markets and aren't aware of the circumstances and consequences are now thinking about animal protection and tangible, legal hardships associated with trafficking or harming native species. It's been quite a step forward.

Article about Condor Killing in April 2013

Beyond Condors in the news, we here at Amaru are gearing up to join the National Condor Conservation Group. With the National Aviary's support, we are going to start building breeding isolation rooms and the first stage of our Condor aviary. Our plan is to have the first stage completed by April, so we can move a young male rescue named Guambi into the zoo ASAP.

There are currently national efforts to monitor Condor pairs around Ecuador. Read more:
http://fundaciongaloplazalasso.org/en/english-condor-group-meeting/

Condor pictures courtesy of Amaru friend and photographer, Gustavo Landivar Heredia. 

Condor pictures courtesy of Amaru friend and photographer, Gustavo Landivar Heredia.

A bit about Condors, from the Aviary:
'The Andean Condor is a vulture with the largest wingspan of any raptor in the world (3-4m).  The national bird of Ecuador and other Andean countries, the condor can be seen soaring over high mountains or open grassland areas in search of food or roosting on high rock ledges.  The birds are prominently featured in indigenous folklore, as the condor represented the upper world of the gods in Incan society. Tragically, the Andean Condor has suffered widespread declines, as many individuals are shot or poisoned, while others die due to changing habitat and a lack of food.'   (Written by Dr.Steven Latta).

Condor pictures courtesy of Amaru friend and photographer, Gustavo Landivar Heredia.

An endangered North American species, the California Condor, has gained serious ground with the aid of breeding programs such as the one the Aviary and Amaru are planning to start. If you're super into the science of it, or how California Condors are doing in the states, check out this link below:
http://www.aou.org/committees/conservation/docs/AOU_Condor_Report.pdf

Condor pictures courtesy of Amaru friend and photographer, Gustavo Landivar Heredia.

Rough drafts of stage one in Condor Breeding Program construction at Amaru! 

Our end goal in this international collaboration is to be able to send National-Aviary raised Condor chicks to Amaru, where we can eventually release them at Cajas National Park, where Dr.Steve Latta, Director of Conservation Programs (National Aviary) has conducted avian research for many years. The Aviary had such a collaboration with Colombia some years back...it's terribly interesting to be involved in the logistics of international breeding efforts for endangered species! If I thought visa applications were complicated...

Oh boy, Precious! Maybe your kids can make it back to live free in Ecuador.
(Precious is one of the three Andean Condors at the National Aviary). 

With all the recent Condor talk, Ernesto thought it would be a good idea if I visited Tueri Foundation and Wildlife Hospital at the University of San Francisco-Quito when I flew through today. It's an incredible facility and test center; many of the nation's wildlife medicine is done at this location. Hopefully I'll get to work with them some more when I'm further along in my veterinary training.

Some visuals.

The USFQ campus is in Cumbaya, which is close enough to Sangolqui and my friends at Manna Project International. Hi, Claudia and gang!

USFQ campus and medical centers. 

USFQ. 

Veterinary specialists and school in Quito! 

Classrooms. 

The second floor surgery-viewing window which inspired Ernesto in the planning of Amaru's clinic! 

I didn't take too many photos of the hospital areas, but Tueri's quarantine is much like Amaru's: Cusumbos, wooly monkeys, a squirrel monkey, opossums, common moorhens from the Andes, various turtles, parrots...and three dedicated vet students spending their lunch break making enrichment using coconut shells and fruit salad.  

Tueri's offices had a number of Condor articles posted; all dated within the last year. Apparently the 7th of July is National Condor Day. 

So we're off and flying--updates on our progress to follow! (Another shot of Precious at the National Aviary). 

If you're interested in supporting the National Aviary's Condor Conservation Efforts, keep reading! 

With your help, I would like to significantly increase our support of Condor conservation efforts. The National Aviary and Bioparque Amaru would like to make such wild sightings of the Andean Condor possible for future generations of Andean adventurers. There are three main aspects of this important project:

1. Here in Pittsburgh, the National Aviary has committed to significantly upgrade Condor Court to allow for proper space to breed their four Andean Condors. Any young produced at the National Aviary will be released into the wild.

2. In Ecuador, they are ready to build the first national breeding facility for as many as four pairs of Andean Condors. These innovative enclosures will incorporate available native habitat in Bioparque Amaru to provide a variety of nest sites, secure areas for zoo caretakers, treatment areas for administering healthcare to the birds, and separate enclosures for juvenile offspring.

3. Development of a release site in Cajas National Park near Cuenca is necessary. Made possible by a long history of work in Cajas by Dr. Steven Latta, the Aviary’s Director of Conservation and Field Research, releasing birds in Ecuador which were born and raised in Ecuador is an economical approach to conservation while also investing in excellent locally-based partner organizations. In addition, we plan to use satellite and radio-telemetry to track and monitor the released birds to better guide our reintroduction program.

My goal is to help raise $20,000 towards the $60,000 project cost at Bioparque Amaru. My Ecuadorian colleagues are very excited to begin this important project. They have done so much to help steer my career and the greatest gift I can give in return is opportunity. Please help me make this possible. As a thank you, I would personally like to invite you to join me at the National Aviary for an up-close look at this project upon my return to the United States in the summer of 2014.

Thank you for considering my request to support this project. For your records, the National Aviary’s tax identification number is 26-1667146, and donations can be made on the website at www.aviary.org, by entering Bioparque Amaru in the comments field.

Most sincerely,

Nikki Becich and the National Aviary


Until next time.