How to Care for a Baby Vulture

Vultures are large scavenger birds with a reputation for being unattractive, unclean and always on the lookout for death. Vultures are, in fact, remarkably clean birds that help prevent disease by consuming dead or dying animals. Vultures are excellent parents to their young, though sometimes a baby vulture becomes an orphan due to accidents, or becomes separated from the nest. The unfortunate baby would die without human intervention. Only wildlife experts should take on the long-term care of a baby vulture.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard box
  • Towels
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine whether the baby vulture needs human intervention. Vultures do not nest in trees; they nest on the ground in cave-like structures such as hollow logs. Fledgling vultures can wander away from the nest but are not necessarily injured, lost or orphaned.

    • 2

      Observe the baby from a distance. If it is featherless or obviously injured, it will require human help to survive.

    • 3

      Look around to see if a nest is close by. If there is a nest, scan the sky for mature vultures. The parents may have been teaching the baby to fly, and are likely watching what is happening.

    • 4

      Contact a veterinarian specializing in wild animals or a wildlife rehabilitator. Until an expert is available, the baby should not be confined or moved. It is illegal to possess or care for a vulture for more than 24 hours without a license. Wildliferehabinfo.org is a site dedicated to wildlife protection and rehabilitator location information.

    • 5

      Place towels inside a cardboard box once determined the baby vulture needs assistance and a professional caregiver located. Even the youngest vultures have self-defense tendencies when they are cornered, which can include biting and clawing.

    • 6

      Put on gloves to prevent injury to the hands by the baby, as well as exposure to disease-carrying bacteria.

    • 7

      Use a towel to pick up the baby. Put the towel over the vulture and pin the baby's wings to its body. Lift the baby vulture and put it in the cardboard box.

    • 8

      Cover the box with the towel before transporting it anywhere. This will calm the baby and prevent potential or additional injury.

    • 9

      Transport the baby vulture to the veterinarian or wildlife specialist.