Grimsby
Species: Turkey Vulture
Nicknames: Grim
Sex: Presumed female
Hatched: 2021
Arrived: 2021
Condition: Human imprinted
Grimsby’s Story:
When the folks at Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre got a call about a vulture attacking people in a backyard, they weren’t sure what to think. Turkey Vultures are typically nervous of people, and almost never come close for any reason. Much to the surprise of the Salthaven staff, when they arrived on scene, it was exactly as the caller described – this young bird was actually flying at people and following them around.
They were able to capture the vulture and transport it to the centre for rehabilitation. On examination they found that she was extremely skinny, but otherwise had no injuries or problems. Given her unusual behaviour, they believe that this bird was likely raised illegally by people, then escaped or was released. When she got hungry, she did the only thing she knew how to do: approach people for food.
It was clear that Grimsby was not able to survive in the wild, so she was transferred to Wild Ontario to join our education team. Grim is currently in training for our education programs, and is sure to be a future star!
Turkey Vultures aren’t loved by everybody, but they should be! These incredible birds are perfectly adapted for eating dead stuff, which makes them vitally important. They can eat meat containing botulism, e.coli, salmonella, and other dangerous pathogens, removing them from the environment. The beautiful and intelligent Turkey Vulture is a star member of nature’s clean-up crew!
