ALTHOUGH THE VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY HAD BEEN GIVING OUT LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION….THEY RAN OUT OF THEIR SUPPLIES IN JUST 2 DAYS. BASED ON THE SUCCESSFULNESS OF THAT GIVEAWAY, ORGANIZERS ARE NOW TRYING TO GET MORE FUNDING…FOR FUTURE LEAD-FREE AMMO GIVEAWAYS. IN THE MEANTIME, HUNTERS ARE STILL REQUIRED TO USE LEAD-FREE AMMO IN THE CONDOR RANGE OF CALIFORNIA. THAT’S BECAUSE LEAD POISONING FROM SPENT AMMUNITION IS STILL the NUMBER 1 HURDLE, KEEPING CONDORS FROM BEING ABLE TO FULLY RECOVER.
THERE ARE NOW 62 CONDORS LIVING IN the WILD IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA…..AND 386 OF THE BIRDS (LIVING IN BOTH THE WILD AND ZOOS)….WHICH IS UP FROM JUST 22 LIVING CONDORS IN the 1980’S.