The African marabou has been housed at the Vitebsk Zoo and is now being provided for.

January 4, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. An African marabou has found a home at the Vitebsk Zoo and has been on the payroll since January 1. The representative of the hottest continent has become the 1087th inhabitant of the zoo, the director of the zoo, Alexey Andreykov, told a BELTA correspondent. The exotic bird was found almost three weeks ago by residents of the village of Zadubrovka, Vitebsk region, and handed over to the zoo, the interlocutor recalled. Specialists examined the marabou, treated its frostbitten limbs, and carried out preventive measures, after which the refugee became a full member of the animal community. The heat-loving marabou is warmed by two heaters and an infrared lamp during the January frosts, and for lunch, like a real predator, it receives pieces of meat. According to Alexey Andreykov, the bird's appearance and behavior indicate a good state of health. Commenting on reports that the Vitebsk marabou is one of two birds that flew away from the Yalta Zoo at the beginning of August last year, Alexey Andreykov noted that the bird was not ringed, so it is impossible to establish its owner. In addition, no messages were received from the Yalta Zoo to the Vitebsk Zoo. Marabou birds vary in size from 110 to 150 cm, with a wingspan of 210 to 250 cm. The upper part of the body and wings of the marabou are black, the lower part is white. The marabou has a bald head with a large and thick beak. They inhabit savannas near water bodies, feed on carrion, and fight with vultures and jackals for it. The Vitebsk Zoo has 51 species of animals, birds, and reptiles. Among the latest acquisitions of the zoo are spiny mice, a royal lampropeltis - albino, and a she-wolf - all of them were donated to the zoo. -0-