A first peek at the iray version of the Condors update The California Condor is currently found in southern California, in Baja California, and at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Five hundred years ago, the California Condor roamed across the American Southwest and West Coast. The condors live in rocky scrubland, coniferous forests, and oak savannas. They are often found near cliffs or large trees. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species. Condor numbers dramatically declined in the 19th century due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. Eventually, a conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all the remaining wild condors in 1987. These 22 birds were bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Numbers rose through captive breeding and, beginning in 1991, condors have been reintroduced into the wild. While this was the most expensive species conservation project ever undertaken in the United States, it's success (as with most of the FESA species protected under the program) yielded results beyond expectations. In August 2008, there were 332 condors known to be living, including 156 in the wild. By May 2012, the number of living individuals had reached 405, with 179 living in captivity. In June 2014, the condor population had reached 439 with 225 in the wild and 214 in captivity. The official statistics from the December 2016, USFWS recorded an overall population of 446, of which 276 are wild and 170 are captive. Rendered in Iray with no postwork. Models include ShaaraMuse3D's Rocks and my Condors