00:03We're here at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We just had our first California
00:07Condor Chick of the Year hatch about two weeks ago. It's 15 days old now.
00:11It's name is Wesa, W-E-S-A, and it's a Chumash word that translates to a celebratory drink.
00:17The puppet is kind of like a fancy glove. It covers our hands so the chicks don't
00:22get any beneficial experiences from people. We don't want it imprinting on the people
00:27getting used to us when it goes off the wild. I want it to be a nice wild animal,
00:30not relying on people for food. When we candle the condor eggs, we actually hold the egg up to a
00:37bright light. You see blood vessels, you see movement, and many times we can see what position
00:42the chick is moving into as it's getting ready to hatch. Condor chicks, just like any babies,
00:48they sleep a lot. They're constantly growing and getting bigger. They're very vigorous eaters,
00:54so they will compete very well with the puppet, trying to take food from the puppet, or eat it
01:00really quickly out of the food crock before the puppet can grab it. They can be playful. We give
01:04them a feather in the isolette as enrichment as a play item. It'll sleep on it. It'll stand on it,
01:12and pick at it, and chew on it, and just like we see that happen in the nest box of
01:16the parents too.
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