Rare Egyptian Vulture Spotted Feeding Its Newborn In AlUla

In what conservationists are calling a "major milestone" and what the chick is calling "hungry," a rare Egyptian vulture has been spotted feeding its newborn in the cliffs of AlUla’s Sharaan National Park. This marks the first-ever recorded vulture nest in the area - and possibly the only time a vulture has gone viral for good behavior.

The Egyptian vulture, once sacred to Pharaohs and now listed as Endangered by the IUCN (which is like the DMV of endangered species but with more feathers), is a bird of many talents. It’s known to use tools, which puts it slightly ahead of most toddlers and several adults on TikTok. It uses rocks to smash eggs, sticks to collect wool, and presumably a spreadsheet to plan its nesting schedule.

Experts estimate there are about 50 breeding pairs left in Saudi Arabia. AlUla, however, seems to be leading the comeback tour, with at least three breeding territories recorded this year and up to 10 potentially scoping out real estate.

So yes, a baby vulture has hatched. And for once, it’s not a bad omen but an ecological win.