El Condor Pasa

[Peter Ryan]

One reason to visit Zuleta Valley in the high Andes was to see a recovery mission for Condors. These birds were held in very small cages and generally mistreated. The Condor, I understand, is the largest bird of prey in the wild and stands round a meter tall with a 3 meter wing span.

The previously caged condors cannot be released back to the wild, unfortunately, but while there we did see a breeding pair on an adjacent cliff soaring on the thermals and a third soaring just above us.

[Donald]

Iconic

[Peter Ryan]

I am two minds with the Condors. I hate seeing them in cages, even though they had room but because of previous problems they cannot survive by themselves. They have rescued 9. Seven still live on the property and they eat a horse a week between them. The other two have been moved to larger accomodation again with a neighbouring village to see if they get them to breed.

Then you turn around and look at the ones flying free and they are so majestic. We spent 45 minutes with them. No one else around.