Why the Bronx Zoo is feeding a baby vulture with a hand puppet

Source: New York Post

A baby vulture at a New York zoo is being fed not by another bird but by a hand puppet — a decades-old technique used to ensure the chick doesn’t identify too closely with its human handlers. King vultures can neglect their chicks, so hand-feeding is necessary to ensure the baby survives, the Bronx Zoo said in a statement Tuesday. But to make sure it doesn’t imprint on humans, staff train the bird’s instincts onto a hand puppet that’s crafted to look like a real vulture.