Prague Zoo Uses Puppets to Parent Rare Vulture Chicks

Zookeepers at Prague Zoo are using hand puppets designed to look like adult lesser yellow-headed vultures to feed baby vultures after their parents stopped nesting. This innovative technique helps prevent the chicks from imprinting on humans, which would make it difficult for them to form relationships and breed within their species later. Antonin Vaidl, the zoo's curator of bird breeding, emphasized that avoiding human imprinting is crucial for the birds' future reproductive success. The zoo has previously used similar puppets for other species such as rhinoceros hornbills and Javan green magpies, with designs reflecting distinctive features of each bird. Prague Zoo is one of only three European zoos breeding this rare species, also known as the savannah vulture. The use of puppets helps ensure the chicks identify with their own species, supporting conservation and breeding efforts.