Condor nestling survives Dolan Fire
BIG SUR, Calif. (KION) The Ventana Wildlife Society announced that the condor nestling "Iniko" survived the Dolan Fire burning in Big Sur.
Iniko was found in a Redwood nest tree in the burn scar area. The fire got as close as ten feet below the nest cavity.
“We were not optimistic as we hiked through the fire’s devastation. To find Iniko alive and well is simply a miracle,” said biologist Joe Burnett.
Iniko's father is still missing, but the mother is still caring for her chick.
The nest cam where Iniko was nesting was lost when the transmission went dead two weeks ago.
Take a look at the nest cam that night:
Another unnamed 4-month-old chick was directly impacted by the fire, according to the society. The chick was saved from her nest in a cliff cavity and taken to a temporary home at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Eleven condors are still missing, including two chicks and nine adults or sub-adults.
The Condor Sanctuary was devastated by the fire, but no people were there and all of the sanctuary's condors had been removed from their holding pens. Missing condors include free-flying birds that frequent the area.
