California condors confront bird flu in flight from extinction

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forty years after California condors were on the brink of extinction, aggressive conservation efforts and breeding-in-captivity programs remain as essential as ever. Condors in the wild are facing the most serious strain of avian flu in years, marking a fresh threat to a population constantly under siege. More than two dozen environmental advocates this week urged the federal government to expedite approvals for a vaccine, warning that the flu strain — which has already killed at least 17% of the Arizona-Utah flock — is “jeopardizing the existence” of the iconic bird. Experts say the species still cannot sustain itself without human intervention.