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| 2007-08-14 register | login | ||
The story of Pip the VultureOn a recent visit to the zoo, we were lucky to catch a vulture encounter and noticed that the young bird was extremely affectionate with its keeper, rubbing its head and neck and asking for scratches. Keeper Leslie told us Pip's story:The King Vultures in the South American exhibit laid their first egg in the spring of 2006. But, whether due to inexperience in nest-building or some other factor, the egg rolled out of the nest and cracked. Ants found the oozing liquid and were swarming over the egg when a keeper noticed, rescued the egg (which would have been consumed alive by the ants!). After cleaning it, they broke a small piece of the shell to peer inside, where a Vulture was indeed developing. Best advice from King Vulture experts was not to restore the egg or hatchling to the nest, as the parents might harm it. So Pip was incubated and raised by zookeepers, whom he clearly is strongly bonded to. Now 14 months old, Pip is a fully grown but will still get his adult coloring (his eye will change color, I believe). Though very affectionate and tame, the keepers do have to be strict with him about pecking behaviour, since with his powerful beak he could easily hurt someone by mistake. So he is not allowed to poke at buttons or other tempting articles of clothing or person, and Pip seems to take corrections well. He is a permanent person bird, not to be released into the exhibit, but he comes out regularly for display.  One of Pip's parents, a King Vulture in the South American aviary at the zoo --gv
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