An endangered vulture is born in London, a first in 40 years

MISE À DAY

An endangered Rupell's vulture has hatched at London Zoo, becoming the first vulture to hatch at the site in over 40 years.

The fluffy gray chick, weighing just 115g at hatching, had a spectacular start to life as seen in pictures from the zoo.

First-time mother Philomena laid her egg in mid-January, and although zookeepers were excited, they worried about the chick's survival.

To ensure the best possible chances of hatching, the team moved Philomena's egg, which they nicknamed “Egbert”, to a special vulture incubator, where they kept it at a temperature of 36.8°C and the watched closely.