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Back to In Memoriam Condor Bios
#242 "In-the-Red"
Sex: ​Male
Hatch Location and Date: San Diego Zoo, 4/20/2001
Release Date: 12/12/2002
Parents: #44 and #45
Local Biological Siblings: #219, #317, #330
Breeding Status: Formerly paired with #311
Offspring: ​#769
​Deceased: 7/30/2015, Lead Poisoning 
In-the-Red was captured in the summer of 2007 for a routine check up and was found to have the highest lead level ever recorded in a living condor! Upon this discovery, he was immediately rushed to the Los Angeles Zoo, where he underwent intensive chelation treatment for two months. Despite his debilitating lead level and the stressful rehabilitation, he was re-released in Big Sur in the fall of that same year. Luckily for him, he did not appear to drop in the hierarchy, as was expected from such a long hiatus. However, he was a bit of a rogue and we're not sure how much of it was due to a drop in IQ, which is a frequent side effect from lead poisoning. Case in point: In-the-Red did not perform the courtship display quite the same as other males after his brush with death - he only ended up pairing late in life, shortly before his death.

In 2011, In-the-Red was once again treated for lead poisoning, although his lead levels were not as high as they were in 2007. Many condors endure lead exposures that would cripple or kill humans. Even worse, our data shows that condors are routinely exposed to lead, making it the largest obstacle for establishing a self-sustaining condor flock. While these exposures are sub-lethal most of the time, they have accumulative effects that can become deadly over time or can cause death secondarily through some other complication that might not otherwise affect a completely healthy bird.
​

In-the-Red's incredible tenacity for continually trying to perpetuate his species despite his handicap was an inspiration to us.
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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Big Sur Discovery Center
    • Wildlife Sanctuaries >
      • Wildlife Sanctuaries
      • Big Sur Condor Sanctuary
      • Lake Nacimiento Eagle Sanctuary
    • Media Coverage
    • Organization Documents
    • Contact Us / Get Updates
  • Membership
  • Wildlife
    • California Condors >
      • California Condors
      • Big Sur Fires
      • Condor Cam
      • Baby Condors
      • My Condor Bios
      • Recovering Condors >
        • Condor Releases
        • Lead Threat
        • Non-Lead Ammunition
        • GPS Tracking
        • Nest Monitoring
        • Electrocutions
        • Micro-Trash
        • Marine Contaminants
      • The Movie
    • Bald Eagles
    • Vultures of the World
  • Services
    • Consultation
    • Conservation Planning
    • Surveys >
      • Surveys
      • Other Wildlife
  • Education
    • Programs >
      • Programs
      • Required Forms
      • Bilingual Education
      • Nature Prescription Programs
      • Partners
    • Art and Culture
    • Resources
    • Inspirational Youth
    • Fund-A-Need
    • Presentations
  • Join Us
    • Rebuild and Restore
    • Adopt-A-Condor
    • Events >
      • Feathers in Flight
    • Zoom-Chats
    • Legacy Society
    • Our Supporters >
      • Our Supporters
      • Corporate Sponsors
      • Foundations
      • Collaborators
      • In-Kind Donors
    • Volunteer
    • Employment
    • Store