Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is welcoming an Andean condor and three llamas to its exhibit in time for Labor Day weekend.
The three-year-old male condor, flown in from Florida, replaces his predecessor, Thaao, who died in January nearly 80 years old. Thaao was the oldest known Andean condor living in captivity.
“Our new condor has some pretty big shoes to fill,” joked Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “Thaao was our ambassador, as the first animal to greet visitors as they came into the Zoo. We are confident that this spry guy will bring his youthful enthusiasm to that role.”
Andean condors are vultures, and they are massive birds. With a wing span of up to 10.5 feet and an average weight of 33 pounds, they are among the largest in the world that are able to fly. The zoo’s new addition weighs 27 pounds and stands three feet tall.
The zoo’s long-term plan is to mate the condor as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), a national effort to ensure the survival of certain endangered species.
The three llama were donated anonymously from a Connecticut llama farm. All three are male, and two are 16-year-old brothers. The brothers, Lawrence and George, are tan in color. The third, named Yugi, is six years old has black and white coloration. The llamas will be housed in an exhibit adjacent to the prairie dogs.
