Griffin (please read my story)

Griffen the cape vulture lives at Umgeni river bird park in Durban, South Africa.  Found barely alive among 17 other dead cape vultures, she was rescued about 15 years ago.  Because the poison remains in her system and affects her balance, her muscles and her ability to fly, she can never be released.  She can't be used for a captive breeding program, because the poison also made her sterile.  The poison is stored in her fat cells, so if she loses weight, some of it gets re-released into her system and can kill her, so her weight has to be carefully monitered.  The practise of setting out poisonous bait for predators is still widely used in agriculture and is the biggest threat to our birds of prey.  On the photo you can also see the disfigurement on her feet - another result of the poison.