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Shadow (209) was raised by Andean Condors and, after his release, hung out with his cohort members, The Great One (199) and Amigo (204). As juvenile condors, they went everywhere together, occasionally getting into trouble (not unlike human teenagers with a lot of extra time on their hands ). In 2002, Shadow (209) gave our biologists a scare when he went missing. We tracked him using radio telemetry to Limekiln State Park, but could not see where he was. It is unusual for a condor to stay perched for almost a week and we were worried he was injured. Shadow (209)'s signal was tracked to a stand of gigantic redwoods and we realized that even if he needed help, we couldn't safely get to him. Later, we saw him looking healthy and we never figured out why he hid in the redwood shadows for so many days.
Shadow (209) then paired with Tiny (236). Together, they successfully raised and fledged two biological chicks in the wild, Miracle (538) and Junipero (663). Shadow (209) and Tiny (236) later separated, and Shadow (209) briefly paired with Wild 1 (231). After not producing chicks for several years, they split and Shadow (209) re-paired with Pinnacles Condor (310). After a very short fling, they too parted ways and he paired with Traveler (171).
Shadow (209) and Traveler (171) currently rank as the most dominant pair in Big Sur, and spend the majority of their time at the Big Sur Sanctuary, showing the rest of the flock who’s boss. In 2022, Traveler (171) spent 2.5 months in captivity at LA Zoo recovering from lead poisoning. Shadow (209) and Traveler (171) were reunited in September, 2022, when Traveler (171) was re-released to the wild after receiving a clean bill of health. With Traveler (171) by his side once more, Shadow (209) has continued to assert his dominance in the flock and command the respect he deserves.
In February, 2023, an untagged, mystery chick showed-up to the feeding slope at the Big Sur Sanctuary. This chick was seen hanging out with both Traveler (171) and Shadow (209) on our explore.org Big Sur Sanctuary Cam. We will need to obtain a genetic sample from this chick for testing to confirm, but our instincts are telling us that they could have been nesting at the time Traveler (171) was being treated for lead poisoning in captivity. If this is true, it means that Shadow (209) was taking care of this chick by himself for the duration of Traveler (171)'s absence from the wild. If there ever was a reason to survive a terrible ordeal such as lead poisoning, getting back to your family would definitely be at the top of the list! We will be sure to keep you posted as we know more on this front.
Watch a short video detailing Shadow (209) and Traveler (171)'s story below:
Shadow (209) then paired with Tiny (236). Together, they successfully raised and fledged two biological chicks in the wild, Miracle (538) and Junipero (663). Shadow (209) and Tiny (236) later separated, and Shadow (209) briefly paired with Wild 1 (231). After not producing chicks for several years, they split and Shadow (209) re-paired with Pinnacles Condor (310). After a very short fling, they too parted ways and he paired with Traveler (171).
Shadow (209) and Traveler (171) currently rank as the most dominant pair in Big Sur, and spend the majority of their time at the Big Sur Sanctuary, showing the rest of the flock who’s boss. In 2022, Traveler (171) spent 2.5 months in captivity at LA Zoo recovering from lead poisoning. Shadow (209) and Traveler (171) were reunited in September, 2022, when Traveler (171) was re-released to the wild after receiving a clean bill of health. With Traveler (171) by his side once more, Shadow (209) has continued to assert his dominance in the flock and command the respect he deserves.
In February, 2023, an untagged, mystery chick showed-up to the feeding slope at the Big Sur Sanctuary. This chick was seen hanging out with both Traveler (171) and Shadow (209) on our explore.org Big Sur Sanctuary Cam. We will need to obtain a genetic sample from this chick for testing to confirm, but our instincts are telling us that they could have been nesting at the time Traveler (171) was being treated for lead poisoning in captivity. If this is true, it means that Shadow (209) was taking care of this chick by himself for the duration of Traveler (171)'s absence from the wild. If there ever was a reason to survive a terrible ordeal such as lead poisoning, getting back to your family would definitely be at the top of the list! We will be sure to keep you posted as we know more on this front.
Watch a short video detailing Shadow (209) and Traveler (171)'s story below:
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