Every National Park is filled with unique, breathtaking landscapes that prove how beautiful and rugged our planet can be, but it’s not always the trees, mountains, and waterfalls that make a trip spectacular. Sometimes, it’s the animals that are truly unforgettable.
Travel aficionado @stephsoutside had the surprise of a lifetime while hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. At the peak of the Utah canyon, two massive California condors were waiting. The larger-than-life birds are incredibly rare and closely monitored by biologists, and anyone who’s lucky enough to spot them in the wild can count their lucky stars.
What stunning birds! It would be shocking, and even a bit scary, to turn the corner and see giant condors waiting for you. As Steph knows, however, it’s also an incredibly rare phenomenon.
“When I was a kid, they were all in zoos,” shared @hottakestina, “and there were only 22 of them, and my parents took us to the San Diego zoo and were like, take a look because you’ll probably never see one as an adult. What a comeback story! Conservation success!”
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There are so few California condors left in the Southwestern United States that every single one is tracked and fitted with its very own tag. As a few thoughtful commenters pointed out, anyone can use The Peregrine Fund’s website to look up individual condors and their histories. X2 is a 7-year-old female bird who was hatched in the wild, while Z0 is a 5-year-old male who hatched at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
California Condor Conservation
Although these are still some of the rarest birds in the world, California condors have already come so far. In 1982, there were only 22 of these birds, and their habitat range had been drastically reduced. According to the National Park Service, this species was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967, though breeding and conservation programs didn’t begin until the ’80s.
The San Diego Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo were among the first organizations to begin breeding California condors, though conservation efforts now extend across the western US. These birds can be found from California to Arizona, and of course, Utah, where they continue to thrive and thrill birdwatchers and hikers just like Steph.
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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.