Hand-reared condors soared over the Arizona mountains as conservationists released them back into the wild.

A pair of California condors raised at the Oregon Zoo's Jonsson Centre for Wildlife Conservation were released at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on September 27.

Authorities said Condors No. 1254 and No. 1260, hatched at the Jonsson Centre last year, joined three other zoo-reared birds in a release organised by the Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management to mark National Public Lands Day.

Tim Hauck, programme director for the Peregrine Fund, said all five condors were doing well so far.

Releases at Vermilion are conducted as soft releases, where birds leave the flight pens on their own schedule. When a condor moves into the outer holding area, an inner door closes and the outer door opens, allowing it to fly free.

Officials said Condor 1254 was the first to launch.

Nicole LaGreco, who oversees the zoo's condor programme, added: 'It's fitting that she left the release pen first, since she was the first California condor of her cohort to hatch in 2024.'

The California condor remains critically endangered. From just 22 wild birds in 1982 and a full captivity effort beginning in 1987, recovery programmes have helped the global population reach around 560 birds, most of which now fly free.

The Jonsson Centre, situated on Metro-owned open land in rural Clackamas County, houses chicks in a remote setting to minimise human exposure and enhance survival rates. Upgrades at the centre were funded in part by Senators Merkley and Wyden, the Avangrid Foundation, and donations to the Oregon Zoo Foundation.

Since 2003, more than 140 chicks have hatched at the Jonsson Centre, with over 100 Oregon Zoo–reared birds sent to field pens for release. Several eggs laid in the zoo have also been placed in wild nests to hatch.