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Today, my blog is for the birds. September 1 is Vulture Awareness Day. Times are tough for these large birds of prey. Lovers of carrion (decaying flesh,) vulture numbers have dropped by over 95% in parts of the world due to a drug occurring in some of their food. It is toxic in their systems according to conservationists at WCS.

This cinereous vulture is my neighbor at the Bronx Zoo. Stop by, or visit your local zoo and pay tribute to these birds that are members of nature’s clean up crew.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Source: bronxzoo.com, wcs.org

 

 

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Photos speak as our visual voice for the Wildlife Conservation Society headquartered at the Bronx Zoo. I’m Julie Larsen Maher, the sixth WCS staff photographer in our 117-year history. My job is to take pictures of the births and lives of our animal collection, our events, and our conservation work around the world.

 My day-to-day assignments could be at any of our five parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo.

I pay regular visits to Nuka, the Pacific walrus at the aquarium, and in this photo, she had just blown me a very fishy kiss. At just under a ton, visitors can see Nuka, our bathing beauty, at the Sea Cliffs exhibit. Best photo op – during their daily feeding times.

Photo credit: Megan Maher

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