A rare king vulture chick has hatched at the Bronx Zoo, hand-raised with a puppet to prevent human imprinting and aid bird conservation.

King vultures can neglect their chicks, so hand-feeding is necessary to ensure the baby survives, the Bronx Zoo said in a statement Tuesday.

The Bronx Zoo in New York is using a specially designed hand puppet to feed its new king vulture chick, which is intended to prevent the baby bird from becoming too dependent on humans.

The ghost outfit and hand puppet have been used in the conservation of birds of prey for decades. In this case, it’s being used to raise a king vulture chick, born at the zoo on February 25.

A rare king vulture chick has hatched at the Bronx Zoo, hand-raised with a puppet to prevent human imprinting and aid bird conservation.

The Bronx Zoo uses a hand puppet to feed a baby vulture, ensuring it doesn't overly bond with humans for successful rearing.

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 ...

A baby vulture at the Bronx Zoo in New York is being raised with a rather unusual parenting technique: feeding with a hand puppet designed to resemble an adult vulture.

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 ...