Two male vultures at Amsterdam Zoo have cared for an abandoned egg and our now raising the recently hatched chick as their own.
When Zoo staff noticed the abandoned egg they initially put it into an incubator, but later placed it into a nest the two male vultures had built together.
The couple had first come to the zoo in 2010 when they were rescued from an animal trafficker in Spain. After spending some time in an animal shelter they were brought to the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam.
Griffin vultures mate for life, and zoo staff said it’s not uncommon of for same-sex couples to exist in the animal world.
Since the egg hatched, the couple have been seen regurgitating food for the newborn to eat.
OIP Staff Image: stock image of some vultures