The Center for Biological Diversity announced a reward of $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the illegal shooting death of a California condor in southwestern Colorado in March 2024.
“It’s incredibly important that justice is served when an endangered animal like this irreplaceable California condor is senselessly gunned down,” said Tara Zuardo, a senior advocate at the Center. “Someone must have seen something. They should step up and do the right thing by reporting this killing.”
The California condor was discovered just 24 hours after it was killed in March 2024, in a remote area northeast of Lewis, Colorado, and west of McPhee Reservoir in Montezuma County. So far, previous leads have not yielded results, prompting Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to seek public assistance in identifying those responsible.
In July, WAN reported on another illegal shooting of two endangered California condors near Cedar City, Utah. Those killings have a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.
California condors are listed as critically endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect California condors. Those involved in killing these birds could face a third-degree felony charge for the deliberate destruction of protected wildlife, with potential penalties including a maximum fine of $5,000, restitution of $1,500, and a five-year prison sentence.
By 1987, the California condor population had dwindled to just 22 individuals in the wild. Today, the California Condor Recovery Program, led by the USFWS in collaboration with various partners, is working to increase the population through captive breeding and the release of these protected birds. As of June 2024, there are 85 condors in the wild, primarily in the rugged canyon regions of northern Arizona and southern Utah. However, this number decreased in 2023 due to the impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Globally, the population of endangered California condors exceeds 560 individuals, with more than half living freely across Arizona, Utah, California, and Mexico. The ongoing efforts to recover this species are crucial for their survival and the restoration of their natural habitats.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward and assist with the investigation. Tips can be submitted in the following ways:
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife:
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Colorado Operation Game Thief (OGT) Hotline: 1-877-COLO-OGT (1-877-265-6648)
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Email: game.thief@state.co.us
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Website: Submit a tip HERE!
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
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Tip Line: 844-397-8477
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Website: Submit a tip HERE!
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