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Vulture at London Zoo

Gyps rueppelli. Magnificent birds!

I applaud that these days zoos have more eye to keeping and breeding vultures. It is a bird of prey and area of expertise that badly needs some good PR. Sadly, the diclofenac vulture crisis in India is not the only issue pertaining to vulture conservation. In Africa, the local vulture species suffer from collection, disturbance and wildlife trade. The populations overall are declining and it will not be long before IUCN and Birdlife will declare these either vulnerable or endangered (up from LR or CD).
 
I'm interested in how vultures are fed in zoos. Is a whole carcass brought in? If meat chunks are just placed on the floor of the enclosure certianly there would be violent squabbling??
 
I'm not an expert on vulture feeding but last time I was there there was a selection of dead mice and chicks on the ground of this aviary.
 
I saw them using just ribs and stuff on Animal park, they steaked (no pun intended) it into the ground and they just attacked it. I saw one of the vultures at London swoop down to catch a sparrow that was outside the mesh; it hit the wire and sat on the floor for a while with deeply hurt pride :p
 
Are these the Ruppell's Griffon Vultures that were bred at Whipsnade several years ago?
 

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ZSL London Zoo
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