Above the chaos is Ruper's Griffin vulture.

2 years ago
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High above the commotion are Ruppell’s Griffon vultures. Soaring at an altitude of over 11,000 meters, these birds fly higher than any other animal. At this height, they can’t see individual carcasses. But the sight of their fellow vultures guides them to the feeding. Their featherless heads help them regulate the sudden rise in temperature as they descend— and keep them clean as they tear into the decaying gazelle. The carcass is stripped clean in hours, well before the rotting meat infects the water supply. And the tuberculosis doesn’t stand a chance at infecting the vultures.

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