Rescued California Condor Chick Gets Specialized Care At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

SAN DIEGO, CA — A California condor chick rescued from Pinnacles National Park is receiving specialized care at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The chick, named Cayic, was about a month old when biologists from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined he needed additional care to survive. His mother had been raising him alone after his father stopped returning to the nest.

The father later died while being treated for suspected lead poisoning, the leading cause of death among wild California condors and a major threat to the species' recovery.

Biologists noticed the mother was returning to the nest less frequently as she searched for food. Although condor parents typically share responsibility for raising their chicks, biologists determined the chick was not getting enough nutrition to continue developing.

Pinnacles National Park biologists safely removed the chick and transported him to the Safari Park's California condor breeding facility. He is being raised through a specialized puppet-rearing program designed to prepare young condors for life in the wild.

Cayic, pronounced "Chai-eech," means "strong" in the Mutsun language of Indigenous people from California's Central Coast.

The chick is doing well, with a healthy appetite and normal growth and development, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He is set to be released back into the wild in fall 2027.