King vultures can neglect their chicks, so hand-feeding is necessary to ensure the baby survives, the Bronx Zoo said in a statement Tuesday. But to make sure it doesn't imprint on humans, staff train the bird's instincts onto a hand puppet that's crafted to look like a real vulture.

Handlers at the Bronx Zoo are using an interesting technique to feed and care for a king vulture chick. Mike Fant

On Tuesday, April 29, the zoo released a statement sharing how keepers feed the vulture chick born on Feb. 25, who is the first king vulture hatched at the zoo in three decades. "The chick is being hand-raised using a hand puppet that helps prevent young birds from imprinting on humans,