Zoo Condor Chick Gets Clean Bill Of Health

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Zoo says a 6-week-old California condor chick hatched before a live webcam audience has gotten a clean bill of health in its first veterinary examination.

Zoo officials say Safari Park keepers and veterinarians had their first opportunity Monday to see the chick named Saticoy in person.

The zoo says the chick now weighs eight pounds and is about the size of a bowling ball. Veterinarians administered a vaccination for West Nile virus and inserted a microchip for identification. A blood sample will determine whether the chick is male or female.

When the California condor recovery program began in the 1980s there were only 22 condors left in the world. The population is now estimated at 386 — more than half are in the wild.