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Vultures 323

rearing chamber, a few of the terrycloth towels are also placed in the chamber as familiar things
that help ease the transition. These are eventually removed and not replaced. If temperatures will
drop below 65 °F (18 °C), supplemental heat should be provided by a heat lamp or other radiant
heat source placed over one section of the chamber and protected by a wire mesh cover to prevent
older chicks from having direct contact with it. Ventilation should be provided by an exhaust fan
and/or mesh-covered windows around the top of the chamber.
A dark blind, made of plywood or dark, opaque tarp over a PVC pipe frame is attached to the
outside of the rearing chamber and all chick care is provided through small doors accessed through
this blind. A small window, 4 × 12 in. (10 × 30 cm) covered with dark automotive window tinting
film to create one-way glass and installed above the access door (about 4 × 8 in. [10 × 20 cm]) allows
staff members to continue to use the puppet surrogate to interact with the chick. Initially, food and
water crocks can be put in and removed through this port, but chicks will soon begin dragging
crocks out of reach. When chicks have adjusted to their new enclosure and are large enough to
reach, a feeding box (described under “Diet” above) can be used.
Closed-circuit video systems are used to monitor chicks remotely from hatching through fledg-
ing and beyond. This may be a sophisticated, commercial system or a simple, inexpensive home
security system.

­ Preparation­for Wild­Release

Vulture chicks that will be hand-reared and later released to the wild must be carefully managed
in strict isolation from human contact and socialized with adult conspecifics in order to have the
best chance of survival and long-term success in the wild. Unlike most raptors, such as hawks,
eagles, and falcons, vultures do not have a discrete, hard-wired window of imprintation as young
chicks in which they form their species identity. With the high capacity for learned behavior and
innate inquisitiveness required of these scavenging species, vultures very readily malimprint on
humans. This tendency persists well beyond a year of age and disappears entirely only by the age
of sexual maturity.
Visual and auditory isolation from human contact is implemented with chicks no later than
72 hours after hatching. No talking or whispering of any kind is permitted near chicks or juvenile
birds and a recording of nature sounds is played continuously in the brooder room to mask the
sounds of people working. All feeding and other care is provided with the caregiver in a dark blind
and the chick, whether in a brooder or later in a tub, in a well-lighted area. The blind is constructed
using dark, opaque fabric curtains with openings at arm height and a shaded viewing window. The
fabric of the armholes is overlapped to prevent gaps. The window, about 8 × 12 in. (20 × 30 cm), is
made of two or more layers of window screen or shade cloth and is covered with a dark fabric flap
when not in use. The curtains are suspended from cables anchored to the walls or attached to PVC
pipe frames. Dark fabric is also used for the ceiling of the blind.
A lifelike condor (or other vulture species) hand puppet is used to interact with the chick (see
Figure 19.3). The puppet is made with an acrylic molded skull, glass taxidermy eyes, and elk hide
skin, attached to an artificial fur sleeve that reaches the caregiver’s upper arm. The puppet rarely
offers food to the chick but rather functions in social interactions, behaving and responding as
much like a parent condor as possible, including preening the chick, chastising it when it is too
assertive, and reacting to external noises. The caregiver’s other arm is covered with a loose, closed-
ended lightweight black fabric sleeve of equal length. This allows good dexterity for handling
the chick and materials around it. To remove the chick from the brooder for daily weighing and