秃鹫:生态系统中的英雄 Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem - Kenny Coogan

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In the grasslands of Mauritania, a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath.

Collapsing near a small pool, the animal's corpse threatens to infect the water.

But for the desert's cleanup crew, this body isn't a problem: it's a feast.

Weighing up to 10 kilograms and possessing a wingspan of nearly 3 meters, the lappet-faced vulture is the undisputed king of the carcass.

This bird's powerful beak and strong neck easily tear through tough hide and muscle tissue, opening entry points for weaker vultures to dig in.

This colossal competition is too dangerous for the tiny Egyptian vulture.

With a wingspan of only 180 centimeters, this vulture migrated to Africa from his family nest in Portugal, using thermal updrafts to stay aloft for hours at a time.

But upon arrival, he finds himself near the bottom of the pecking order.

Fortunately, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in intelligence.

A short distance away, he spots an unguarded ostrich nest, full of immense, but impenetrable eggs.

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