LOS ANGELES — A plan to return federally endangered California condors to a rugged and remote stretch of Northern California coastline and redwood forests is taking shape on Yurok tribal lands where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean.
The tribe believes the condor is a sacred animal, and it says annual releases of four to six captive-bred condors starting later this month are part of its "obligation to bring balance to the world." That's because in the absence of large carnivores such as grizzly bears, condors will do the lion's share of removing decaying carcasses from the ecosystem.
"We've been working toward these releases for 14 years," said Tiana Williams-Claussen, a tribal member and wildlife biologist with the Yurok condor program. "Now, the condor is coming home."
