Condors and Jaguars - Giants of the Past

A stop on Oakland Zoo: Savanna to California Trail, a free self-guided tour.

This pavilion pairs two animals that once flew and prowled across California. The California condor, with wings close to ten feet across, is the largest flying land bird in North America. By 1987 only 22 were left, and all were taken into captivity for breeding. Today hundreds fly free again, but lead from bullets in the carcasses they eat still poisons them. Since 2014 the zoo's hospital has treated wild condors for lead and returned many to the wild.

Jaguars once roamed the southeastern corner of California, and today a few still cross into Arizona from Mexico. They are the biggest cats in the Americas, with jaws strong enough to bite through turtle shells.

Look for a condor's bare head, which helps it stay clean while feeding, and for the jaguar's rosette spots, some with a dot in the middle.

Getting here: Follow the trail from the wolves to the Condor and Jaguar Pavilion.

Did you know?: California condors can soar for hours and travel more than 100 miles a day looking for food, barely flapping their wings.

Photo op: Catch a condor spreading its wings to sun itself - it is the best way to show its huge wingspan.

For kids: Compare spots: a leopard's rosettes are empty, but many of a jaguar's have a dot in the middle. Can you find one?

Nearby: Restrooms and a water filling station are next to the pavilion.

More on Wikipedia: California condor · Jaguar

Condors and Jaguars - Giants of the Past

Stops on this tour