You think vultures are disgusting? Meet George
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00:00 George basically thinks he is a human.
00:01 You look good.
00:03 I am Mary Beth with the American Eagle Foundation,
00:05 and this is George's story for GeoBeats.
00:08 I am an avian care specialist here
00:09 at the American Eagle Foundation.
00:10 Good morning, Team George.
00:11 You can get it.
00:13 We are dedicated to the conservation, education,
00:15 and protection of birds of prey like George.
00:18 That's for you, George.
00:22 George has been living at the American Eagle Foundation
00:24 for 30 years now.
00:27 I'm the one that makes sure he's getting fed,
00:28 getting his meds, taking him on his walks.
00:30 Scan a little.
00:31 He is non-flighted.
00:32 We don't really know why George never learned to fly.
00:34 He's been examined by vets.
00:36 He has no injury that we have ever determined.
00:38 You got to look good for your photo shoot, huh?
00:39 We do take George on walks since he is non-flighted.
00:42 It's a great way for him to get exercise and enrichment.
00:45 We take him to different places around our property.
00:47 George is like, "No, I'm gonna get him."
00:50 On average, his walks usually last about an hour.
00:53 Hi there.
00:54 George was unfortunately found wandering the ground
00:56 at a very young age.
00:57 He was transferred over to the Memphis Zoo,
01:02 and they did his rehabilitation and helped raise him,
01:04 but through that process,
01:05 he'd become what we call a human imprint.
01:08 And unfortunately, because of that,
01:09 he was not able to be released.
01:11 He was then transferred to the American Eagle Foundation.
01:16 George's Land Shark is probably his most famous thing
01:17 that everybody knows him for.
01:18 It is kind of a playful behavior that he exhibits
01:21 when we take him for walks or when he's getting to explore.
01:23 He will walk past you like he's not doing much,
01:26 and then he likes to hop real quick towards your ankles.
01:28 He just ripped my pants.
01:29 George is very interactive and very curious.
01:35 George is a great paper shredder,
01:36 and if it's out, he's probably gonna shred it.
01:38 We'll put things in his water and he'll jump on 'em.
01:40 He's been with people since he was a young baby,
01:42 and so he loves to be around people.
01:44 I feed George food with my bare hands
01:46 because when I try to feed it to him from gloves,
01:50 he won't take it.
01:52 You can often say, "Hi, George," and he'll turn his head,
01:54 so he thinks that he may recognize the same.
01:56 A lot of people have seen that George
02:02 sometimes does grunting noises.
02:04 Oh, George.
02:05 Vultures don't have the voice box
02:07 that grunting is used a lot in the nesting season,
02:09 and we've seen a little bit of their courtship,
02:11 but as far as the actual purpose behind the grunt,
02:14 we don't really know.
02:15 George.
02:16 There's not a lot of research behind it,
02:17 but the grunts and the hisses are primarily geared
02:20 towards the people that he chooses as his favorite.
02:22 Will you come out here so I can feed you?
02:23 Banana and cantaloupe are his two favorite fruits,
02:25 so he often gets really happy when he gets those,
02:28 and he'll do those little grunts often.
02:30 Turkey vultures are one of the cleanest birds of prey.
02:33 They have bald heads.
02:35 When they are eating, it's easier for them to clean.
02:37 Their stomach acid is also very strong.
02:38 They will take away that bacteria.
02:40 They're nature's perfect cleanup crews.
02:42 You don't get the trash.
02:44 They're so beautiful.
02:45 If you ever get a good look at them
02:46 when they've got their wings out
02:47 and the sun's hitting them just right,
02:48 their feathers are so many beautiful colors.
02:50 That's what we call the heraltic pose.
02:51 That is meant to help them clean their feathers
02:54 and keep them pest-free.
02:55 George, along with all of our other ambassadors,
02:57 they are not treated like pets would be in your home.
03:00 They are still very much wild animals.
03:01 They are educational ambassadors,
03:03 and we are regulated by many agencies
03:05 that make sure we are following those standards.
03:08 George will be turning 38 years old this year.
03:10 Turkey vultures in the wild will live
03:11 to about 15 years of age,
03:13 but in human care, they can live 30 to 40.
03:16 (tongue clicking)
03:21 (upbeat music)
03:23 (upbeat music)