Zoo Tycoon Profile: Lappet-Faced Vulture

The Lappet-Faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is the largest vulture in Africa and dominates other vultures during feeding. It is powerful enough to drive off a jackal. This imposing, broad-winged bird has a large, powerful beak which is capable of tearing the hides, tendons and any other coarse tissue from its prey, which may be too tough for other scavengers. This species is easily recognized due its large size, bare pink head and the fleshy folds of skin, called lappets, on each side of its neck, which give the bird its common name. The Lappet-faced vulture lives throughout Africa and the Middle East, from the southern Sahara down to the Sahel, through east Africa to the centre of the country, and as far as northern South Africa. In much of its range, this vulture occurs in dry savannah, desert or semi-arid areas that have only short grass, thorn bushes and scattered trees, and also on open mountain slopes as high as 4,500 m above sea level. Open habitat is the ideal foraging environment but trees are also critically important to this species for nesting and roosting, the thorny species of acacia, terminalia and balanites being preferred.

Diet and Nutrition: Lappet-faced vultures are carnivores and scavengers, they eat carrion, the skin and bones from animal carcasses. They often eat garbage, and may kill small animals, mostly small birds, and they also steal food from other raptors.

Social: Lappet-faced vultures are monogamous breeders and pairs mate for life. They are solitary nesters, preferring to be far distant from other pairs that are nesting.

Size: 37–45 inches in length, wingspan at 8.2 to 9.5 feet and weigh 30 pounds. 

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