Karine Aigner
California Condor 1221, known widely as “Milagra,” captured the hearts of thousands in 2023 when she became a beacon of hope during the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) crisis that killed 21 condors in the Arizona–Utah population. While Milagra was still just an egg in a wild nest in Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, her mother, Condor 316, died from HPAI. Milagra was brought to Phoenix-based wildlife rehabilitator Liberty Wildlife, where she hatched with the assistance of their skilled veterinary team. She was then transported to The Peregrine Fund’s propagation facility in Boise to be raised by foster parents, where she remained until August 2024 before being transported back to our management facility in Arizona for the release.
On September 28, 2024, Milagra was returned to the same area from which she had been rescued 17 months before. Upon Milagra’s return, she immediately encountered her biological father, Condor 680, at the release site. They spent 30 minutes together, both perched comfortably and feeding on a calf carcass, providing an extremely emotional moment to the crew who had rescued her as an egg.
Milagra’s resilience inspired multiple major news outlets to pick up her story. Audubon Magazine even featured Milagra’s story on the Fall 2023 Cover! An additional follow-up story was published by Audubon Magazine in October 2024.
Check out the slideshow below for more of Milagra's remarkable story.
C.J. Woodward
Karine Aigner
The Peregrine Fund
Leah Esquivel
Chelsea Haitz
Kelsey Tatton
Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner
