10 reasons to love Vultures

Rather like an embarrassing friend, vultures have some terrible habits that are hard to justify to other people but they still have their own charm and we’d hate to lose them. There are 23 species of vulture worldwide but some have experienced a 99 per cent decline in numbers. Charity, Wildlife Vets International is trying to raise £3000 during Big Give week to help treat injured vultures and nurse them back to health.

We’re supporting their efforts, so here are some fun facts to help you feel the vulture love! #vets4vultures

1. Vultures love their friends. They are one of the most sociable birds of prey and hang out together when roosting, flying and feeding.
2. Vultures are not harbingers of death and if you see one circling overhead it doesn’t mean you are about to die. Once you are dead though they will sniff you out pretty quickly before other predators get to you.
3. It’s actually good that vultures feed on dead things as this helps prevent the spread of disease and cleans up the countryside. In fact, vultures can even feed off rotting meat that would make other animals ill. This might not be their most endearing characteristic.
4. The biggest vulture is the Andean Condor – which has a wing span of 11 feet – that’s the equivalent of a 5 foot woman and a 6 foot man lying head to head on the floor – try it at home!
5. Because vultures mainly feed on dead animals it is highly unlikely you will ever be killed by a vulture – even though they are carnivores. So there’s no need to be scared a vulture will eat you alive – unless you are very, very weak and they are very, very hungry. In those cases they will make an exception.
6. Vultures have weak legs. Instead of carrying food home to their chicks they eat as much as they can, return to the nest and vomit over them. This doesn’t mean they are bad parents – just different.
7. Despite attempts by Disney to suggest otherwise, vultures can’t sing – they just hiss and grunt. It is doubtful whether Mowgli would have found this comforting.
8. Vultures pee on their feet to keep them cool. Because no one likes sweaty feet.
9. Sadly 14 species of vulture are threatened or endangered and without our help, could disappear.
10. Not only are vultures truly amazing, majestic birds (even if they do have some funny habits) they do play an important role in the eco-system, helping other animals and plants to survive. Our world would be a poorer place without vultures.

Convinced that vultures are worth saving? Donate to Wildlife Vets International here, no matter how small you can make a big difference: http://bit.ly/2yurJ5H.