In Memory of California Condor 463 (2008- 2020)

My last encounter with California condor 463 just after Thanksgiving 2019. When I returned to Pinnacles New Year's Eve, 463 was nowhere to be seen and his mates (condors 692 and 726) seemed to be waiting for him to arrive at High Peaks. I was informed days later by the Pinnacles condor crew that he had been found suffering from lead poisoning and had been taken in for emergency care. On Monday, January 6, 2020, the Pinnacles Condor Profiles had been amended to remove 463 from his current spot and reduce his presence to one line on the "In Memory" page. Without the extensive management and testing undertaken by both Pinnacles staff and the Ventana Wildlife Society - in addition to organizations like the LA and Oakland Zoo - 463 would have long ago succumbed to lead poisoning. He has been chelated and operated on and intensively cared for multiple times in his short 11 year life (for lifespan reference, the world's oldest living California condor - Topa Topa in the LA Zoo - is 54). Lead ammunition has been illegal in California since July of 2019 and yet these critically endangered birds are still being taken down by a poison folks are actively and knowingly spewing into a fragile environment. What will it take to save our wildlife and ourselves? The audio is a selection from "The Élégie" (Elegy), Op. 24, written by French composer Gabriel Fauré in 1880 and performed by Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello, Noreen Polera, piano recorded at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and obtained from musopen.org.

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