SPRINGDALE, Utah (ABC4) — Officials announced the famed California Condor known as “1K” and was the first condor to successfully fledge in Zion National Park has died.

Biologists found 1K dead in the remote rugged terrain of a Zion National Park canyon in early March 2024, just shy of his fifth birthday. According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, California Condors can typically live for up to 60 years.

About 1K, the beloved California Condor

1K earned his name after officially becoming the 1,000th California Condor to have hatched since the start California Condor Recovery program in the 1980s. The Peregrine Fund (TPF), a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of birds of prey, said his arrival signified a remarkable benchmark in the recovery effort of the species.

TPF said people from around the world have traveled to Zion National Park to catch a glimpse of 1K and his impressive nine-and-half-foot wingspan since his introduction in 2019. The park even began selling merchandise and placed informative signs about 1K and his species.

Shawn Farry, TPF’s California Condor Program manager, described 1K has being “goofy and charismatic.” His playful personality reportedly made it easy for park officials and visitors to grow and emotional attachment to him.

Cause of Death

In a joint statement from The Peregrine Fund (TPF), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and Zion National Park, it was revealed 1K had died of lead poisoning.

TPF said lead poisoning deaths are a tragedy “all too common” for California Condors. Just under half of diagnosed deaths were the result of lead poisoning, making it the number one cause of death among the condors.

Birds afflicted by lead poisoning can become lethargic or develop a weakness or paralysis of the digestive tract leading to the inability to process food and water. This in turn leads to the California Condor commonly dying of either starvation or dehydration.

TPF biologists said California Condors are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because they are “obligate scavengers” – meaning they are limited to feeding on the remains of dead animals. This typically means feeding on shot animals left behind in fields. While eating, they can unknowingly eat lead from bullet fragments and become sickened.

“1K’s death is a tragedy because it was premature and preventable,” said Shawn Farry, TPF’s California Condor program manager. “He was still in his awkward teenage years, with his head color starting to change from black to orange. He was only a year or two away from finding a life-long mate and becoming a breeder.”

Fighting against lead poisoning

Since 1996, 52 California Condors in the Arizona-Utah population have died of lead poisoning, according to TPF, but 90% of all condors trapped and tested in the past year had blood levels indicating exposure to lead poisoning.

One such condor exposed was 1K’s sibling, 1111. In January 2024, 1111 reportedly tested with the highest value recorded in a live bird in the program’s history. She was taken to Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix, Ariz., where she was treated. After a long road of intensive care and recovery, 1111 was released back into the wild in May 2024.

TPF said 1111’s story highlights the need to keep managing California Condors while lead poisoning remains such a threat.

In partnership with The Oregon Zoo and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, TPF co-founded the North American Non-lead Partnership (NANP). The partnership aims to minimize the threat through voluntary outreach and education programs while promoting ecosystem health.

TPF CEO and President and co-founder of NANP Chris Parish said since launching the partnership, researchers have come a long way in understanding how lead moves through wildlife.

“Very simply, we must expand our reach to more hunters, managers, ranchers, and sportsmen and women,” said Parish. “The proof is there. “If people know and have alternatives, they are more than willing to help. We just need to reach them.”