Lonely vulture who thought he was human finally finds love

A lonely vulture who thought he was human has finally found true love, his keepers have revealed.

Barry the American black vulture, has been reared by humans since his birth 10 years ago and seemed unable to associate with his own kind.

Staff at Kirkleatham Owl Centre near Redcar were worried when Barry began chasing visitors in the hope of mating. But now they are delighted he has finally been matched with a female shipped in from eastern Europe.



The centre's Craig Wesson said: "Contrary to popular belief, vultures are sensitive creatures, and Barry is particularly highly-strung. He was hand-reared and associated more with people than birds.

"In the last couple of years he has matured and started displaying 24/7. It was a nightmare. He would almost exhaust himself, following everyone around, desperate to mate. Six weeks ago, the immature female friend arrived.

"Now they sunbathe together and sometimes the female pulls Barry's tail feathers, provoking a chase around the aviary."