Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has a brand new baby animal. This newborn Rüppell’s griffon vulture is named Lyra.
Lyra the Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture
VP of Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment Dr. Mark Penning shared pictures of Lyra on Instagram, writing, “Our animal care experts have been closely monitoring her from the moment she was an egg, and continue to support her as she grows.”
Lyra’s parents, John and Janet, are both nurturing her “with great care.”
The IUCN Red List classifies Rüppell’s griffon vulture as critically endangered, so this birth is “especially significant,” Dr. Penning wrote. They were first listed as “near threatened” in 2007 and as “Endangered” from 2012 to 2014. As populations decreased, they were reclassified as “Critically Endangered.”
The Rüppell’s griffon vulture is considered the highest-flying bird. They have been recorded at an altitude of 11,300 m or 37,000 ft above sea level. They are native to the Sahel region and East Africa.
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