The Los Angeles Zoo Wednesday is marking the 60th year of Topa Topa, a California condor that resides at the zoo and whose role in a landmark recovery effort has helped restore the species from near extinction.
Topa Topa arrived at the zoo in 1967 after being found weak and malnourished in Ventura County and later became the first California condor to live in a zoo, according to officials.
He went on to become a founding member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Program, helping establish a breeding population in human care aimed at saving the species.
Zoo officials said Topa Topa has contributed to the production of roughly 300 condors, with about 100 still participating in the recovery program and 94 flying free in the wild Wednesday.
“Topa Topa’s longevity at the Los Angeles Zoo is a testament to the high level of care and wellbeing provided by the Zoo’s animal care and health teams,” Los Angeles Zoo CEO and Director Denise Verret said in a statement. “He represents so much more than a species; he is a symbol of the California condor’s experience from decline to triumph.”
After initially being rehabilitated and released into the wild, Topa Topa was returned permanently to the zoo when it became clear he could not survive on his own, officials said.
In 1978, he became the first California condor exhibited to the public, helping raise awareness about the species’ decline.
By 1982, with the wild population reduced to just 22 birds, federal officials launched an emergency recovery effort involving captive breeding, with the L.A. Zoo and San Diego Zoo serving as key partners, officials said.
Topa Topa later became a cornerstone of that effort, producing his first chicks in 1993 and continuing to contribute to the program for decades.
“When I think of the California Condor Recovery Program, Topa Topa is one of the first things that comes to mind,” said Rose Legato, curator of birds at the L.A. Zoo. “The plight of the California condor really began to resonate with the public around the same time Topa Topa was brought to the Zoo in the 1960s. It’s beautiful to see how much he has contributed to the recovery of the species and how far we’ve come.”
Wednesday, the California condor population has grown to more than 600 birds, though threats such as lead poisoning and disease continue to pose risks, officials said.
Topa Topa remains behind the scenes at the zoo’s California Condor Recovery Center, where he continues to play a role in breeding efforts aimed at sustaining the species’ recovery.