21 California Condors have died of Avian flu

[Catherine]

In the period of a month 21 California Condors have died of Avian Flu. Eight breeding pairs are amongst the dead. 
This is a terrible set back to he breeding program. They take 8 years to mature so replacing the breeding pairs is going to take a long time.
The species nearly went extinct in the 1980s. A captive breeding program and many years of hard work have ensured that the Condors once more fly free over California. Losing any Condors is terrible. They are doing better, but they are not totally safe.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/06/us/califo...index.html

There are only 500 Condors alive. Given that it takes so long for them to mature, the death of 21 birds means the population will not grow larger for a number of years. I know the people working to save the Condors won't give up, but they must feel a terrible sense of loss right now. I hope everything goes well from now on.