NEW YORK: The Bronx Zoo in New York has adopted an unusual but carefully designed approach to raising a rare king vulture chick, using a handmade puppet resembling an adult female vulture to provide a more natural early environment for the young bird.
The zoo is raising its first king vulture chick in nearly three decades. Wildlife specialists are using the puppet to reduce the risk of the chick becoming overly accustomed to humans during its development.
According to the zoo, the realistic female-vulture puppet was designed by its Exhibition and Graphic Arts Department. The technique is intended to help the chick recognize and associate with its own species rather than imprinting on the humans involved in its care.
Zoo officials said specialists with expertise in birds and avian behaviour are overseeing the project. The approach is based on techniques used decades ago in South America, where similarly designed puppets were used to raise Andean condor chicks.
During feeding sessions, keepers will use the puppet while concealing their human appearance behind specially designed costumes. This allows them to provide the necessary care while minimizing direct human contact.
The method highlights the role of innovative animal-care techniques in captive breeding and conservation programmes, particularly for species that require specialized handling during their early development.
The use of a puppet as a surrogate parent may appear unusual, but wildlife conservationists have previously used similar methods to encourage young birds to develop appropriate species-specific behaviour and reduce human imprinting.
