Rare King Vulture Raised by Puppet at Bronx Zoo After 30-Year Gap

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A rare king vulture chick hatched at the Bronx Zoo on February 25, 2025 - the first in nearly 30 years!

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Zoo staff are raising this special chick using a lifelike hand puppet that mimics an adult king vulture.

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Why use a puppet? To prevent the chick from imprinting on humans, which could harm its development as a proper vulture.

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The special technique was developed at the Bronx Zoo over 40 years ago and has helped save endangered birds worldwide.

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Keepers wear full-body costumes to conceal their human features while using the puppet to feed the chick in its brooder nest.

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This chick's genetics are extremely valuable - its 55-year-old father has only one other surviving offspring.

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The vulture puppet was custom-designed by the zoo's own Exhibition and Graphic Arts Department.

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An adult king vulture lives in an adjacent enclosure, allowing the chick to observe natural vulture behaviors.

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The white-downed chick will gradually develop juvenile feathers in its fourth month but won't have adult plumage until about age four.

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King vultures range from Mexico to Argentina and are currently classified as "Least Concern," though habitat destruction and poaching are causing some population declines.

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Information collected during this specialized rearing process is shared with other zoos and field conservationists to improve bird conservation worldwide.

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This innovative approach preserves valuable genetics while ensuring the bird maintains proper species-specific behaviors essential for its welfare.

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