My dad pointed out a California Condor soaring in the sky near our house in Buckeye California when I was five. It was 1970, and I was fascinated. When I was in sixth grade, I delivered what I felt was my best work ever, a report on the California Condor. Between 1970 and now, the bird has occupied my thoughts. You might call me pro-condor. I just think that the California Condor is a super cool bird. That is, perhaps, until recently...
I was reading a birdwatching magazine this morning, and found out that since garbage was removed from close by condor nests, their babies' survivability went way up. Apparently, the parent condors, upon seeing garbage, would bring it and feed it to their nestlings instead of looking for real food. The nestlings would die, I assume from impacted crops or perhaps starvation.
This made me think a heretical thought--do these birds really deserve to pass on their DNA? Is it even possible to save this fascinating bird from extinction? Is anyone that lazy?
Maybe we should spend more money to increase the number of Condors. It might solve the problems with our nation's landfills.
Then again, I think about how many parents give their kids Lucky Charms in lieu of eggs and toast...maybe it's like that.
