After the death of two endangered condors in Utah, investigators are asking the public for help

Investigators in Utah are searching for those responsible for the recent killing of two endangered California condors.

The two condors were found shot, one in 2022 and the other last month. Both were discovered in the same area southeast of Cedar City and north of Zion National Park, bringing the population of this critically endangered species down to 85 individuals in the wild in northern Arizona and southern Utah as of June 2024. There is currently no evidence of the perpetrators.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and US Wildlife Services are asking the public for information about the shootings.

“The illegal killing of these two condors is a devastating and unnecessary loss,” said Russell Norvell, bird conservation program coordinator at DWR. The losses have reversed more than a decade of progress in efforts to restore the species, he said.

“It’s really, really frustrating for our people,” said Faith Jolley, DWR spokesperson. “There are a lot of people, including many of our biologists and other organizations we work with, who are investing a lot of time, resources and effort to help these species recover.”

This is the first poaching incident of its kind in the last decade, Jolley said.

If those responsible are identified, they will likely face third-degree felony charges, which could result in a fine of up to $5,000, restitution of $1,500, and a prison sentence of up to five years.

Anyone with information is asked to immediately contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources or U.S. Wildlife Services using one of the following methods:

If the information provided leads to the successful prosecution of those responsible, a reward may be possible. Confidentiality requests will also be respected.