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Environment

Condor Chick At Safari Park Named

Su'nan peeks over the ledge at her parents.
San Diego Zoo
Su'nan peeks over the ledge at her parents.

A condor chick born three months ago at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park has been named Su'nan, which means "to continue to or to keep on" in the Chumash language.

About 900 online votes were received for the winning name. The name Antik, which means "to recover," was second with just over 600 votes.

Su'nan is visible on the zoo's Condor Cam.

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"This year's Condor Cam chick has attracted thousands of followers as people observed the chick hatch and watched it being raised," said Michael Mace, curator of birds at the Safari Park. "Su'nan is a fitting name because the condor population was once at the brink of extinction. This species has fought hard to 'continue on,' making this a great name for the highly watched condor chick."

The young bird will continue to grow and mature over the next few months until her flight feathers grow in and she is ready to leave the nest. Animal care staff at the Safari Park hope the chick will be able to take her place among the wild populations that have been released in California, Arizona and Mexico.

In the 1980s, there were only 22 condors left in the world.

The Safari Park has now hatched over 180 chicks and released more than 80 birds into the wild. Currently, there are more than 400 condors, more than half of which are flying free in California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico, park officials said.