Condor Rescued in Peru Gets Released Back Into Wild After Year of Rehabilitation

It's been a year of recovery, and now one condor is ready to go back to the wild. 

When Urku was found near a beach in Peru, it was in bad shape. It was unable to fly and also malnourished. 

El Huayco Zoo took Urku in and gave the giant bird of prey the care it needed.

Not only did they feed it, but they also made sure to limit its interaction with humans, which rescuers say could threaten its chances of survival once back in the wild.  

"We examined it and ran blood tests; it came in weighing very little," Jose Otero from El Huayco Zoo said. "Basically, the work we've done is providing good food, a spacious location for it to exercise, and allowing it to be with other condors."

"This way, we limited its interaction with human beings so it wouldn't lose its fear of humans, thus preventing it from getting killed."

Urku was then tagged and set free.

Rescuers consider this a successful rehabilitation of an animal that is considered endangered and part of a species that needs protection.

Related Stories