LA Zoo honors the California condor that played a key role in saving its species
Honoring a Conservation Pioneer: Topa Topa and the California Condor’s Comeback
The Los Angeles Zoo is paying tribute to Topa Topa, a California condor whose pivotal role in the species’ recovery from near extinction spans six decades.
Topa Topa arrived at the LA Zoo in 1967 after being discovered weak and malnourished in Ventura County, marking the bird’s transition to becoming the first California condor to inhabit a zoo environment.
Throughout his 60 years at the zoo, Topa Topa became a foundational figure in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Program, which established a breeding population under human care. His lineage now includes approximately 300 condors, according to zoo officials. Currently, around 100 condors are still part of the recovery program, with 94 flying freely in the wild.
"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," said Denise Verret, CEO and Director of the Los Angeles Zoo. "He represents so much more than a species; he is a symbol of the California condor’s experience from decline to triumph."
Initially rehabilitated and released into the wild, Topa Topa returned to the zoo permanently when it became evident that he could not survive independently. In 1978, he became the first California condor to be exhibited to the public, playing a crucial role in raising awareness about the species’ precarious status.
By 1982, as the wild population dwindled to just 22 birds, federal officials initiated an emergency recovery effort that involved captive breeding, with the LA Zoo and the San Diego Zoo as key partners. Topa Topa became instrumental to this strategy, producing his first chicks in 1993 and continuing to contribute for decades.
"When I think of the California Condor Recovery Program, Topa Topa is one of the first things that comes to mind," remarked Rose Legato, curator of birds at the LA 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."
Today, the California condor population has rebounded to over 600 birds; however, challenges such as lead poisoning and disease continue to threaten their survival. Topa Topa remains a vital part of the LA Zoo’s California Condor Recovery Center, continuing his legacy in the ongoing breeding efforts for this endangered species.
