…Bullets Do?
This pink and green old-school poster tells the story of the California Condor. Rather than being killed by guns directly, California Condors are critically endangered in large part due to ingesting bullets from dead animals. The lead poisoning not only kills them but also affects their eggs, leading to poor breeding.
Back From The Dead
This isn’t the only odd thing about this bird. The California Condor already went extinct once in 1987. Now they've been brought back again, through captive breeding programs and reintroduction to the wild, and there is a population of these birds in the wild. You could say this is our second chance to get it right and protect them — but so far it’s not going great, with only 463 left in the whole world (both captive and wild).
Worth the Cost
The project to reintroduce these birds into the wild is considered one of the biggest species conservation projects in the world. It cost over $35 million but is largely considered to be a success. Part of the slow return is due to the California Condor’s slow birth rate because they only lay one egg at a time. However, captive-reared adolescents are being released into the wild each year to help bolster the growth.
You can get this retro-styled poster that tells the California Condor's story in my shop over here.
