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The Dolan Fire destroyed the Condor's Big Sur Sanctuary on August 20-21, 2020 resulting in nine condors missing and two chicks in nests and their fate unknown. On October 30, 2020 we declared the missing condors presumed dead.
Rebuilding of the infrastructure has begun and restoring the wild flock continues. |
10/5 Dolan Fire Update: Sanctuary Cam and Nest Cams back online!
Three weeks after the Dolan Fire destroyed the Condor's Big Sur Sanctuary
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Eleven Condors Presumed Dead due to Dolan FireThe nine formerly missing free-flying condors include “Kingpin” #167, “Survivor” #375, “Electra” #678, “Boreas” #773, “Arthur” #789, “Tonks” #875, one condor from the Pinnacles Flock #448, and two wild-raised, #9001, and #9003.
Two chicks, Chick #1022, whose parents are #448 (PNP), female 543 (PNP), chick #1029 whose parents are McWay #567 and Loner #311 perished in the fire. |
DOLAN WILDFIRE TIMELINE
- 08/18/20 evening - The Dolan Fire started, one-mile south of our Big Sur Condor Sanctuary.
- 08/19/20 evening - Our Condor Cam on the feeding slope caught it live, as the fire reached the south ridge of the Condor Sanctuary.
- 08/20/20 evening - We watched on the live cam as the fire burned just outside the nest cavity where Iniko, the baby condor, is being raised in a giant redwood tree.
- 08/21/20 early hours - The fire burned through the Big Sur Condor Sanctuary, apparently cutting off the Condor Cam stream.
- 08/24/20 - VWS Biologist, Joe Burnett confirms condor release facility and research center were destroyed.
- 08/26/20 - VWS Condor Biologists confirm 90 of 100 free-flying condors alive and well. Ten are still missing and the fate of the four chicks in wild nests remains unknown.
- 08/28/20 - Pinnacles Biologists find Condor 209 Shadow. Total missing now 13, including four chicks
- 09/01/20 - GPS confirms that nesting Condor #550 is visiting her nest in the burn area, presumably to feed her chick #1030. “Loner” Condor #311, the mother of another missing chick, was seen in the burn area feeding on a sea lion and filling up her crop.
- 09/01/20 - Condor chick Iniko #1031 is alive and well! Our field crew was given the green light by fire authorities to go into the Dolan Fire burn scar area and view the Redwood nest tree of Kingpin #167 and Redwood Queen #190. Condor chick #1033 was saved from her nest, where she was in a cliff cavity directly in the path of the advancing Dolan fire line.
- 09/11/20 - Video posted showing destruction of the Big Sur Condor Sanctuary and confirmation that two chicks, #1022 and #1029 perished in the Dolan Fire.
- 09/29/20 - The Sanctuary Cam is back on and operational.
- 10/05/20 - The Nest Cam is operational again.
- 10/14/20 - The Dolan Fire is 98% contained
- 10/16/20 - Iniko fledges. See Iniko's story...
- 10/30/20 - Still 98% contained, nearly 125,000 acres burned.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Big Sur families that have homes in the path
of this fire, and with those affected by the many wildfires burning in our state.
of this fire, and with those affected by the many wildfires burning in our state.
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8/20/20 Condors are flocking to the watering hole on the condor sanctuary feeding slope:
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VIDEO FEED OF THE FIRE FROM OUR BIG SUR CONDOR CAM
8/21/20 Hear the Dolan Fire as it burns through the condor sanctuary feeding slope and from the other camera listen to it encroach on Iniko's nest before the cameras goes out :
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Thank you for supporting the Condors
We can't thank you enough for the outpouring of love and support you have provided for us in the wake of this crisis. With your support, wildfires will not stop us from continuing to restore condors to the wild.
Please also consider a donation today to help as we rebuild our condor field facilities and take another big step toward full recovery of California Condors along the central coast.
Please also consider a donation today to help as we rebuild our condor field facilities and take another big step toward full recovery of California Condors along the central coast.
Big Sur Sanctuary Photo Gallery
A coastal bluff overlooking the ocean, this sanctuary contains a mosaic of redwood forest, open woodland, coastal scrub, and grassland. These habitats provide optimum conditions for condor nesting, roosting, scavenging, and soaring. PHOTOS ENLARGE WHEN CLICKED
