Thank a Vulture!
Content warning: whole prey food item.
Our king vultures’ meal might seem off-putting to some, but vultures play a critical role as scavengers! Did you know that vultures have such strong stomach acid that they can consume carcasses of animals that have died from disease and not get the disease themselves? They truly are nature’s clean-up crew!
Research shows that healthy vulture populations are actually very important for controlling the spread of disease to other animals, including humans. So next time you see our local turkey vultures feasting on the side of the road, thank them for keeping our environment clean and healthy!