Can captive breeding of the California condor be considered a success?
A) Yes, because captive-bred birds now use the same roosting sites as their predecessors.
B) Yes, because the wild population increased from 22 in 1983 to 228 in 2014.
C) No, because most captive-bred condors imprint on their human caretakers.
D) No, because the reestablished population is now beginning to decline again.
E) It's unknown, because the condors cannot be reliably tracked after they are released.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The success of the captive breeding program for the California condor can be measured by the increase in the wild population from 22 in 1983 to 228 in 2014, which represents a significant increase. The fact that captive-bred birds now use the same roosting sites as their predecessors is also a positive sign, but it is not the best measure of success. The issue of imprinting on human caretakers or the decline of the reestablished population are not relevant to the success of the program. While it may be difficult to track the birds after release, this does not prevent us from measuring the success of the program based on population growth.

Can Captive Breeding of the California Condor Be Considered a Success