Prague zookeepers turn to puppets to parent baby vultures

PRAGUE (Reuters) -Zookeepers feeding two baby vultures in Prague are using a hand puppet designed to look like the chicks' parents, a technique they hope will ensure the birds learn to identify with other vultures - not humans.

Staff at Prague Zoo had to start hand-feeding the lesser yellow-headed vultures when their parents stopped nesting. After using the approach with other birds, they quickly made a hand puppet that looks like an adult vulture's head.

"If we raised (the bird) in direct contact with humans, it would become imprinted to humans, and then it would be difficult to breed that individual within the species," said Antonin Vaidl, Prague Zoo's curator of bird breeding.

Human imprinting increases the risk of a chick struggling to build a relationship with a mate in adulthood.

Hand puppets have previously been used with other bird species at the zoo including rhinoceros hornbills and Javan green magpies, with their design reflecting distinctive features such as a large colourful beak.

Prague is one of three European zoos to breed the lesser yellow-headed vulture, also known as the savannah vulture.

(Reporting by Eva Korinkova;Writing by Jason Hovet;Editing by Helen Popper)