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Back to In Memoriam Condor Bios
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The Great One (199) was raised using a carefully crafted leather condor puppet, so he was closely watched due to this non-traditional upbringing. He bonded especially closely with other males his age and spent a lot of time with his buddies, Amigo (204) and Shadow (209). As The Great One (199) got older, he showed more interest in the Big Sur backcountry and especially in his mate, Wild 1 (231).Together, they raised their biological chick, Phoenix (477), in the wild.

​He later paired with Pinnacles National Park (PNP) Condor (438) and continued to be a successful nester, producing chick, Arthur (789). Due to his upbringing, our initial expectations of
The Great One (199) were not high, but it turned out that his artificial rearing did not prevent him from becoming a great parent. His nickname is something we yelled out in the old days when we saw him doing well in the wild. Many of our biologists have picked him as their favorite because of his progress from underdog to successful condor. He ruled the wild Ventana backcountry for twenty years and will long be remembered as an example of the amazing resilience and adaptability of this incredible species. 
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  • WHO WE ARE
    • Our Story >
      • Our Beginning - Bald Eagles
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • Wildlife Sanctuaries
    • Annual Reports / Documents
  • CONDORS
    • Condor Overview
    • Biology
    • Bios >
      • My Condor Bios
      • In Memoriam Bios
    • Field Work
    • Live Cams
    • Nesting
    • Releases
    • The Condor Chat
    • Threats
    • Vultures of the World
  • Education
    • Education Overview
    • PUBLIC PROGRAMS >
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Hubs
    • PARTNER PROGRAMS >
      • Teen Watershed Program
      • Educator Support
      • Wellness Through Nature >
        • Nature Coach
      • Salud Y Naturaleza
    • Big Sur Discovery Center
    • SMORE in Big Sur
  • Services
    • Condor Presentations
    • Ecological Services
    • Non-Lead Ammunition
    • Wildlife Data Management Tools
  • Media
    • Condor Films >
      • 2025: Condor Canyon >
        • Order Copy of Condor Canyon
      • 2022: Giants of big Sur
      • Full Collection
    • Condor Chat Podcast
    • Media Coverage
    • Short Clips
    • Top YouTube Videos
  • How You Can Help
    • Donate >
      • Adopt-A-Condor
      • Donate
      • Stewardship Circle
      • Legacy Society
    • Save The Condors
    • Subscribe
    • Supporters
    • Volunteer
    • Your Opinion Matters
  • donate
  • Shop