PERU: Two Andean condors raised in Italy await release into the wild in the Peruvian Andes

A pair of condors raised by Italian scientists are in quarantine in Cusco, Peru, awaiting release into the wild. The condors, the offspring of a male condor from the Peruvian Andes and a female from neighbouring Bolivia, are part of a joint effort between Peruvian and Italian scientists to begin repopulation efforts in the Peruvian Andes. While habitat loss and human encroachment have landed the condor on the World Conservation Union's "vulnerable" list, scientists believe the Peruvian population could be anywhere between 400 and 4000. The National Service for Animal Health (SENASA) authorised the transfer of the birds from Italy to the Andean mountains on June 25, but the animals are still in quarantine waiting to pass the required health analysis. Laura Mancuso, director of the repopulation campaign in the Urubamba Valley, expressed concern over the birds' well-being, but said her crew was willing to fulfill SENASA's requirements. "The test that they are doing is very stressful for the animals and that is why I resisted the test, not for any other reason. I hope the veterinarians can get the samples but up until now they haven't. I don´t think it´s especially important to do this test but if it's a fundamental requirement for the condors to be released into the wild, we are here to do it," Mancuso said. SENASA veterinarians have been working with the two birds, currently housed in cages at the SENASA building in Cusco. Veterinarian Eric Echegaray pointed out that introduced species, whether once native or not, are required by SENASA to undergo a series of tests and complete a period of quarantine before they can be released in to the wild. "All the birds coming into the country have to go through these diagnostic tests and have to stay in quarantine for 15 days," said Echegaray. Some complain that the quarantine is excessive and that the delay diminishes the birds' chances of surviving the wild by dulling their instincts. National Geographic is on hand in the Peruvian Andes to film the pending release of the condors. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the Andes were home to a large population of condors. But the past centuries have seen the numbers of one of the world's largest flying birds diminish steadily. Beyond a drop in food supplies, local farmers once killed the massive birds, thinking they posed a threat to their livestock.

ITN Source | July 21, 2006

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