Condors Illegally Killed in Utah, Public Help Sought

Two critically endangered California condors were shot and killed in southern Utah over the last two years, representing a significant loss of 2% of the local population. The first condor was found in 2022, and the second in June 2024, both near Cedar City and Zion National Park. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are seeking public assistance to solve these crimes as previous leads have not been fruitful. These deaths, coupled with avian influenza, have severely impacted the recovery efforts of the species, which has seen its numbers grow from just 22 in the 1980s to over 560 globally today. Killing these birds is a third-degree felony with significant penalties, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. Conservationists stress the devastating impact of these losses on the ongoing efforts to recover the species, which reproduces slowly and is integral to the ecosystem.