/ 10 November 1999

RARE CONDORS DONATED TO PRETORIA ZOO

PRETORIA Zoo is the new home to the only pair of rare Andean condors on the African continent. In a statement on Tuesday, the zoo said the donation of the near extinct vulture-like birds by the Chilean government was a means of creating links with the San Diego Zoo. Chilean ambassador Boris Yopo will officially hand over the birds to Pretoria Zoo director Willie Labuschagne on Thursday. The Andean condor, which is depicted on the Chilean emblem, is one of the two largest flying birds in the world. It has a wing-span of three metres and weighs between nine and eleven kilograms. The species is drastically decreasing in numbers and there are only 176 Andean condors in captivity across the globe.