**KING VULTURE CHICK GETS ROYAL TREATMENT: BRONX ZOO PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS WITH ULTRA-REALISTIC PUPPET MOM**
In a bizarre yet adorable tale, the Bronx Zoo in New York has taken to using a hyper-realistic puppet to feed its newly-hatched king vulture chick. The zoo announced that for the first time in 30 years, a king vulture chick has hatched, and to ensure its survival, they’ve brought in a special “surrogate mom” – a ridiculously lifelike puppet.
The king vulture chick, named “Regina” (Latin for “queen”), was born on February 27th, and zoo officials knew they had to get creative to give her the best chance at a healthy start. Enter “Vultra,” the ultra-realistic puppet designed to mimic the movements and appearance of a mother king vulture.
Vultra, the puppet, is an engineering marvel, complete with blinking eyes, flapping wings, and a beak that opens and closes with eerie realism. The puppet is so convincing that zoo staff have reported doing double takes, thinking it’s the real deal.
“We wanted to give Regina the best possible start in life,” said zoo spokesperson, Jane Smith. “And let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to be fed by a team of highly trained puppeteers? It’s like having your own personal Disney movie, but with more poop.”
The puppet, which took months to design and build, is made from a combination of silicone, foam, and a dash of magic. It’s so realistic that it even has a built-in “breathing” system, complete with a tiny diaphragm that makes it look like Vultra is inhaling and exhaling.
As Regina grows, Vultra will continue to provide “maternal” care, feeding her a diet of regurgitated meat and providing comfort and reassurance. And judging by the chick’s healthy appetite and rapid growth, it’s clear that Vultra is doing an… well, not quite “motherly” job, but a job nonetheless.
The Bronx Zoo has become a leader in innovative animal care, and this latest development has left many in the zoo community wondering: what’s next? A robotic zookeeper? A virtual reality experience for the animals?
For now, Regina and Vultra are the main attraction, and the public is flocking to see the unlikely duo. Who knows, maybe one day Vultra will even get her own Netflix special.
**UPDATE:** The Bronx Zoo has announced that Vultra will be available for meet-and-greets, starting at $50 a pop. Don’t miss out on the chance to take a selfie with the most realistic puppet this side of Hollywood!
