From the Ventan Wildlife Society, the Guardians restoring California condors to their natural habitat comes a tale of resilience and hope.

Filmed in breathtaking detail, experience California condors like never before.

Condor Canyon, where hope takes flight.

This program is made possible by the Doris Day and Terry Melcher Foundation.

Additional funding was provided by Barbara Apostolate, Catherine L and Robert O. McMahon fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County, the May Foundation Trust.

Orinda garden club.

Karen and Allan Lacey and Lurleen Lollie Menzies.

90 miles alon the coast of central California.

Rocky cliffs meet the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Inland.

Towering redwood stretch deep into a mountainous landscape of beauty.

And abundant wildlife.

This is Big Sur.

All manner of flora and fauna thrive here.

In over a million acres of picturesque wildlife habitat.

And playful sea lions swooping through massive kelp forests off the coast.

And elusive mountain lions navigating vast forests.

And grasslands full of wildflowers.

To skilled cliff swallows peppering the high rock faces with their elaborate nests.

This diverse ecosystem is home to thousands of species.

But the most rare and majestic creatures living here in the canyon are the California condors.

The largest land birds in North America, and one of the largest flyin birds of any kind in the world.

Adult California condors can weigh over 20 pounds with a wingspan up to ten feet wide.

The height of a standing elephant.

These epic sized scavengers are designed for high altitude, long distance flight capable of soaring above 10,000ft for up to 200 miles in a single day.

They search for food far below with their powerful eyesight.

Once numbering in the thousands.

Today, the number of wild California condors stands at just over 350, a population still on the brink of extinction.

To stay alive and grow their flock, the condors living here in Condor Canyon know the value of their fellow birds.

Perching.

Bathing.

And feeding together.

These highly intelligent birds gain strength in numbers.

Their complex social hierarchy is often compared to wolves or even chimpanzees.

It's what binds them together.

Each bird knows their place, and those feeding.

And even bathing is not without conflict.

The hierarchy maintains order.

As a result, the entire flock prospers together.

Even though they live largely as one group.

Each individual condor is unique.

Here in Condor Canyon, there's the flocks.

Former matriarch Redwood Queen.

She's raised nearly ten chicks.

A true mother of the flock.

Phenix has a miraculous survival story.

As a vulnerable chick, he nearly died in a fir that claimed many other birds.

But Phenix persevered.

A testament to his fortitude.

And no one could mistake amigo for another condor.

Once in line to lead the flock, he still exhibits the pride and power of a dominant bird.

The.

But the strongest, most dominant of all the condors in the flock is shadow.

The Alpha.

Standing tall and proud on his perch, he keeps an eye on the other birds.

To keep conflict in check.

Shadow doesn't hesitate when birds fall out of line.

He's quick to remind them who's in charge.

Thankfully his rule is rarely challenged.

Being the Alph is more than just a privilege.

It's an enormous responsibility.

Shadow must assert himself whenever the hierarchy is questioned, or the whole flock could fall out of order.

Leading to constant contests ove Any contes is a threat to a condor safety.

Even minor injuries can seriously affect their ability to thrive in the unforgiving wild.

One Condor, who knows all too well about the dangers of these contests over dominance is amigo.

Early in life, he and shadow were close friends, along with another male, Condor Great One, both strong and powerful.

Amigo and shadow each had the potential to become the future leader.

Back then, amigo was the stronger one.

It seemed almost certain he would take the lead when kingpin, the former leader of the flock, died tragically in a forest fire.

But Amigos path to the top would take a disastrous turn.

No one knows for certain what happened, but amigo suffered a serious injury to his beak, the likely result of a clash with another bird over mating rights.

Amigos injurie required a long rehabilitation, and by the time he returned, he was a different bird.

No longer the dominant male, amigo lost his position and Shadow's place as the future leader was assured.

At the head of the flock.

Shadow would have his pick of mates and his top choice was traveler.

Despite her current station, traveler has seen her share of ups and downs.

Again and again.

She's been chosen by high ranking males, but in each case, her mates have died, dropping her down in the hierarchy.

But this loss of rank and authority is nothing compared to the loss of her chicks.

Many times.

Traveler has laid an egg, a chance to increase the fox numbers, only to have the eggs crack prematurely, killing the embryo inside.

This troubling issu is caused by eggshell thinning, a dangerous result of prolonged exposure to a persistent chemical called DDT.

Viewed closely, the effect of DDT is obvious.

Egg shells nearly half as thick, too thin to protect the growing chick inside.

Once used as an insecticide, DDT was banned in 1972, but by then enough had entered the ecosystem and the food chain that it would continue to endanger wild populations for a very long time.

While not the greatest threat to condors, the result of DDT exposure from consuming contaminated California sea lions is still disastrous for some birds, like traveler.

Still, she refuses to give up.

Every season, she attempts to breed, and this year is no different.

Despite the challenges she's faced before, she has an egg that seems to be viable as she incubates day after day.

The egg is staying intact, given all the eggs she's lost in the past.

There's no guarantee this one will make it.

One wrong move could cause the fragile, thin eggshell to crack under traveler's weight.

And with so much pressure o the condor population already, it's enormously critical that every young condor survives.

In Condor Canyon, the flock has several prime nesting sites.

While traveler cares for her egg in the cliff nest.

Another young bird is nearly ready for her first flight.

This nestling, a bird growing the feathers it needs to take.

Flight is coming of age up in one of the redwood nests.

When fires burn through the forest, condor lives can be threatened.

But there are also some benefits to forest fires.

These tall redwoods have strong trunks, and they're very difficult to take down after fire passes through the forest.

Many of these giant trees become homes.

Large, burned ou cavities at the top of redwood trunks make excellent nests for massive condors, who prefer to lay their eggs high above the ground.

This redwood nest is home to a very special condor named Jade.

Living all of her life s far in the hollow of this tree.

It protects jade from the elements and from most potential predators.

But here, high up in the trees, still covered in fluffy down and unable to fly, Jade is both protected and stuck.

Completely dependent on her parents and unable to leave the nest.

Jade will be lucky to see even one of her parents for a short period of time each day.

Sometimes it can take as much as a week between feedings.

The rest of the time, she waits and waits and waits.

A bird alone in its nest is almost completely helpless during the long periods, waiting for its parents to return.

It spends hours simply staring.

These redwood tree nests are very high up hundreds of feet off the ground.

Imagine inside the nest a young condors entire world is the wooden walls of the burned out trunk and the wide open sky above.

And when it finally takes its first tentative steps out of the nest and onto a branch, it's still unable to fly.

It's a long way down.

Any false step could send the bird plummeting to its death, or at best, cause a serious injury that would make it unable to survive on its own.

Yet this solitude is also safety.

So for now, Jade must wait for Mom or Dad to arrive with her next meal.

Jade's mother is Kodama, a condor known for her strength who has had many suitors in her 11 years of life.

Condors are capable of living 60 years or more, so Kodama is still considered quite young, and yet she's already hatched.

Two other members of the flock.

Her own parents are the great Redwood Queen and kingpin the former leaders of the flock.

Given her proud bloodline, it's no wonder why Kodama has grown so strong and capable with this incredible lineage.

Her chick Jade is poised to become a high ranking member of the flock.

Jade already seems anxious to leave her nest and go out into the world, but until then, she'll need plenty of food to grow big and strong like her mother.

In.

Outside the canyon.

On the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Jade's father, amigo sits perched on a rock.

Scannin for one of his favorite meals, a sea lion.

There are plenty of sea lions along the coast here.

The condors are not predators.

They must locate a dead anima to scavenge food for themselves and their young.

After patiently surveying the rocky beach below, amigo finally spots something promising.

A sea lion carcass has washed onto the shore.

He swoops down to investigate.

A single sea lion could feed up to ten condors.

But as they say, the early bird gets the worm.

Or in this case, the sea lion.

Amig feeds and feeds on soft tissue.

Until his crop, an expanding muscular pouch at the base of hi esophagus is full to the brim.

It's more than enoug to feed himself and young jade.

Returning to the nest, Jad is overjoyed to see her father.

Amigo, and to eat a meal.

Like most birds, young condors are fed directly from their parent's mouths until they've learned to fly and are able to join the flock at a carcass.

Even when eating, young condors are totally dependent.

In general, condors don't need to eat every day, but they need to eat at least every 2 or 3 days to maintain their weight.

And when growing, this is even more crucial.

To keep eating on a regular basis.

Condors can't afford to be picky when they spot a dead animal, preferably a fresh one.

They eat.

Unfortunately, they have no idea if the food they're eating is contaminated.

One condor who has learned firsthand the terrible effects of contaminated food is traveler in her lifetime of DDT, exposure has crippled her ability to lay viable egg without fear of them cracking.

But amazingly, despite her challenges, her latest egg has not only hatched, the little bird that was inside is growing strong.

Only a chick now.

This young one.

Maybe.

Traveler's greatest achievement.

Then tragedy strikes.

Out of nowhere.

Traveler goes missing.

Nowhere to be found.

Her freshly hatched chick is now dependent only on her father's shadow until traveler is found.

The Alpha is alone to raise what could be the future leader of the flock.

Over the years, the flock at Condor Canyon has seen remarkable growth, but it's also experienced devastating setbacks.

Though fire isn't the single greatest threat to Condor survival, a large blaze has the potential to wipe out a huge percentage of the population all at once.

Any time the forest burns nearby condors are in very real danger.

June 2008 A thunderstorm makes landfall over the dense forests of Big Sur.

Bolts of lightning touch ground again and again, setting three fires just miles apart.

The wind shifts and the three fires become one raging inferno.

The Basin Complex fire while most of the canyon's condor population make it to safety.

Three nesting pairs are unaccounted for.

Using sight to navigate.

Condors do not fly in the dark.

And as the fire approaches their nests in the black of night, the art of survival are slim.

The Basin Complex fire consumes almost 163,000 acres.

Once it passes, the devastation is heart wrenching.

Yet, incredibly, two of the nesting pairs and their chicks are accounted for and safe.

But in a high redwood nest, one young, defenseless bird has been trapped.

It's hard to imagine ho he could have possibly survived.

And yet he's alive.

Still plump and healthy, this young condor, a miraculous survivor, earns the name Phenix.

Like the bird of legend that rises from ashes.

It's a testament to Condor resilience.

But not all of the birds would be so lucky.

Two condors died in the enormous fire.

And this wouldn't be the last blaze for Condor Canyon.

August 2020.

A sudden blaze erupts again in the forests of Big Sur.

The massive Dolan fire.

Only this time, the cause is not natural.

It's arson.

A careless, intentional act that will have devastating consequences for the flock.

Once again, a young bird sits helpless, high up in a redwood.

The nest of kingpin and redwood.

Queen.

As the fire burns, hotter and hotter, it's almost impossible to imagine the fear.

Nothing can be done.

This young bird will likely perish in this enormous blaze.

In the end, 125,000 acres of land are consumed.

And when the fire is finally out, it's not just the young ones that were at risk.

12 condors died, including kingpin, the leader of the flock.

It's a terrible loss, but yet again, a miracle.

Up high in the redwood nest, the young, defenseless bird lives.

She's called Eniko an old Nigerian name that means born during troubled times.

And it's never been more fitting.

Her survival is a silver lining.

Every life in the flock is precious.

And this one little bird will have to make up for the loss of the flocks.

Leader.

A proud, majestic condor that was also, sadly, her father.

The offspring of Kingpin and Redwood Queen.

In our world, Eniko would be like royalty.

But in the Condor hierarchy.

Eniko is like any other bird.

She'll have to earn her rank with her powerful lineage in ego's chances of one day becoming a dominant member of the flock are greater than for most other birds.

Still, it's a long road to the top.

And she's not the only miraculous survivor who's learning to make their way amongst the condors of this canyon.

Since surviving the frightenin base and complex fire of 2008, Phenix has grown into a strong adult bird.

His fortitud has attracted Enrico's mother, Redwood Queen, to meet with him.

So far, the pair has already hatched their own offspring, an elusive young bird.

It's hard to know ye what's in store for its future, but the flock will be watching.

Considering the incredible good fortune that saved its father, Phenix, this new bird is already extremely lucky to be alive.

Born blessed by fire.

While deadly wildfires can be terrifying and their awesome power.

The highly destructive events are relatively rare and not nearly as dangerous as the most insidious modern threat to condors.

Lead poisoning caused by bullet fragments left behind in carcasses.

When condors find a dead animal, they tear off whole chunks of meat, one bite at a time and with no teeth to chew.

The flesh is swallowed alon with whatever is hidden inside.

Once in the condors body, even a small amount of lead is potentially fatal.

Over time, responsible for nearly half of all condor deaths, lead releases toxins into the bloodstream that have crippling effects on the body.

And the longer traveler remains missing, it's becoming increasingl likely that she's fallen victim to this life threatening contaminant.

She.

When a condor is in this much potential danger, the conservationists of bi serves Ventana Wildlife Society have no choice but to step in.

Senior wildlife biologis Joe Burnett has been searching for traveler for several days and is getting worried.

He's been unable to locate her by way of her radio tracking tag.

This could indicate that she's somewhere down low in a canyon.

Out of range and unable to fly for the sake of her new vulnerable chick.

Joe needs to find travelers soon.

Or it could be too late.

At Condor Canyon's cliff nest, shadow, the alpha leader of the flock now has a new and equally important duty single parent to his young condor chick with his mate traveler missing, possibly deceased.

It's all on shadow to care for what could be the Flock's future leader.

Shadow's role amongst the flock is essential.

The longer he's occupied with parenting.

The more potentially unruly the flock could become.

But condor chicks are the future of the flock, so his role as a parent is equally important.

His new chick is totally dependent on him for survival.

Condor nestlings require constant care in their first two weeks of life.

Covered in just soft down feathers.

It's a challenge for new chicks to resist the cold.

So both parents share the responsibility of brooding the chick resting on top to keep it warm.

From the time a condor chick hatches until it finally flushes and leaves the nest, its parents will have spent six months caring for it, keeping it from harm and providing for all its needs.

On top of all his parental duties.

Shadow must also continue leading the flock.

It's an enormous responsibility.

Each day he scans the horizon, hoping for traveler's safe return.

But he can't afford to show any sign of weakness.

Each and every day, shadow must spend time with the flock to continue asserting his dominance.

If he's gone for too long, challenges to the hierarchy will become more frequent, leading to unnecessary conflicts that can threaten Condor safety.

Shadows authority over the other condors was earned, and he'll need strength to keep it.

If he's to exhausted to control his flock.

Some may decide it's time for a change in leadership.

One Condor who was already in line to be the leader, may be the one to issue a challenge.

Amigo.

Amigo has been asserting dominance more than usual lately.

Before his beak injury, he was the likely successor to kingpin, the former Alpha.

With shadow preoccupied with parenting duties.

Amigo sees an opportunity to push boundaries and perhaps even dethrone his old friend.

But shado isn't going to let that happen.

He may be busy, but he's no handing over the reins just yet.

And in an incredible aerial display, shadow shows the flock.

Why, he's the Alpha for now, Amigos, ag and injuries are just too much.

But the battle for Alpha never stops.

It's what keeps the flock strong.

This challenge may be one of many.

If traveler doesn't return soon.

Traveler has been gone now for close to a week.

And with a young chick in the nest.

She'd never be gone this long.

Unless something horrible had happened.

Senior wildlife biologist Joe Burnett continues his search, but without luck.

At Pinnacles National Park, she's picked up on a scanner.

Traveler is far from the canyon, nearly 60 miles away, and she's barely moving.

A team rushes to bring her in for medical treatment.

Good luck and keep up.

All right.

Let's just be saf and get her up to Oakland Zoo.

But the vets take a look at her.

Yeah it sounded like my choice.

She.

Lets get her up there.

With traveler in the care of the Oakland Zoo's highly trained veterinarians.

The diagnosis is clear.

Lead poisoning.

There's no telling how long travelers been fighting this sickness.

But what is certain?

It's a long road to recovery, and there's still no guarantee she'll survive.

Travelers alive, but not out of the woods yet.

As spring turns to summer in Condor Canyon.

Lupine grows tall in the fields.

Calla lilies bloom beside rolling streams.

And long hillside grasses slowly fade to a golden brown.

More hours in the day means more time to scavenge for meals.

Condors have to cover a lot of ground to locate foo and only fly when there's light.

So an extr two hours can be a huge benefit.

This is particularly true for nesting pairs who have more mouths to feed than the rest of the flock.

Having now grown into a fledgling, this young one flaps its newly feathered wings to let parents know they're anxious for a meal.

A behavior called wing begging.

Gives up on a mountain ridge in the early morning.

A deep bowl in the rocky terrain.

Collects water.

It's a place where condors gather together to bathe.

This is social hour.

A time for the flock to connect as a whole.

Throughout the morning, birds come and go, each hoping to cleanse thei feathers from the previous day.

Scavenging.

Hierarchy is as important here as it is at a carcass.

A condor needs to wait its turn, or a higher ranking bird will put them in their place.

Amigo may not rule the roost, but he's not letting anyone cut in line.

After bathing.

As th sun beats down on the hillside, a group of condors begin their next morning ritual sunning, spreading their wings wide to absorb as much warmth as possible.

The sun's rays re-energize the birds, and there's also a hygenic benefit in the heat.

Leftover debris that wasn't washed away while bathing dries and flakes off.

Even here, the condors find themselves jockeying for position.

But eventually, thanks to the hierarchy, everyone will get their turn in the prime spots.

Hierarchy enters into nearly every facet of condor social behavior, like laws that govern our own highly complex world.

The condors have their own set of rules.

Strength is the greatest factor in contests for dominance, but there are other ways to earn position within the flock.

This higher order is what keeps the flock from a free for all.

It's why Shadow's leadership is so crucial.

But Shadow's not able to tend the flock as much as he normally might.

Still dividing his time between his role as the Alpha and his role as the parent, he spread very thin.

Travelers absence is felt every day.

While she fights for life.

Shadow fights for the health of the flock.

And the health of their chick.

Finally, a nestling emerges from a shadow in traveler's nest.

Still very young.

The new condor seems perfectly healthy.

It's an enormous accomplishment for shadow.

Despite all his struggles.

He's done it.

His chick is ready to join the flock.

Big and strong.

Shadow's fledgling is an impressive specimen.

Born with both shadow and traveler's powerful genes.

He May 1st day take his father's place at the head of the flock.

His name is Thule, an old Native American.

Rumson.

Sinaloan.

Word Thule means to return after a long absence.

A fitting name, especially if his mother survives her battle and comes home.

At the zoo.

Travelers rehabilitation has been slow.

The effects of lead poisoning are very serious, and although she's received the best possible care, there's no way to know for certain how long she was sick before her treatment began.

One can only hope travelers will to see her chick is strong enough to beat this terrible affliction.

September 2023.

After two long months away from her flock with care from both the Oakland Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo.

A veterinarian evaluates travelers conditions.

Her strength has slowly returned, and she's looking very healthy compared to how ill she'd been on arrival.

After careful observation and reviews of blood tests, the decision is made.

Traveler finally receives a clean bill of health.

Lead poisoning can go unnoticed for too long, and as a result, it's responsible for close to half of all Condor deaths.

For many birds, the diagnosis is a death sentence.

But right now, it seems like traveler is one of the lucky ones.

It's an incredible recovery.

When traveler was found, she was so frail, it seemed like i might be too late to save her.

Now she's as strong as ever.

Anxious to return home to the flock and her baby.

Thule.

Transported back to Big Sur from the Los Angeles Zoo.

Traveler carefully brought to the hills overlooking Condor Canyon.

As the sun hangs low over the horizon.

Travelers cage door opens.

And outside brings a very happy mother immediatel flying away to join the flock.

It's a touching end to an extremely tense fight for survival.

Swooping in on her and Shadow's favorite perching tree.

Travelers greeted by the other birds.

She'd been gone for so long, it seemed like she'd never return.

The flock gathers around the long lost mother.

And though condors tend to be very reserved, it appears they're welcoming home their matriarch.

But no other bird has Miss Traveler nearly as much as shadow.

Nestling up to his mate.

Shadow and traveler nuzzle and preen each other.

Undeniable signs of affection amongst these giant birds.

With her return.

Life can finally return to normal.

Now traveler ca finally reunite with her chick.

Jewel.

Hopping up to his perch.

Traveler rubs heads with her firstborn.

And as tool flies off, his mother's safe return fills him with confidence.

Despite all the challenges his flock has faced through fire.

And sickness.

The future looks brighter than ever.

The flock strength is in numbers.

And with so many obstacles in their path.

By sticking together.

Respecting the hierarchy.

And caring for their fellow birds.

The flocks chances of survival grow day by day.

And in spite of all the challenges they'll continue to face in the future, at least for now.

The California condors of Big Sur are stronger than ever.

With.

This program is made possible by the Doris Day and Terry Melcher Foundation.

Additional funding was provided by Barbara, A, Pasto Lou Catherine L, and Robert O. McMahon fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County, the May Foundation Trust.

Orinda garden club.

Karen and Allan Lacey and Lurleen Lollie Menzies.

A copy of Condor Canyon is available on Blu ray, DVD, or USB flash drive.

The cost is $20 including shipping and handling.

Order online or mai to the address on your screen.

Offer made by Ventana Wildlife Society.