California condor captive breeding (1987)
In 1987, the last 22 wild California condors were brought into captivity to keep the species from vanishing. A coordinated breeding program rebuilt the population over years.
Condors bred in captivity and were first reintroduced to the wild in 1992.
More than 500 condors now live in the wild, with the program still releasing birds today.
Shows a captive breeding program can pull a species back from the edge when the wild population is almost gone.
