With the December frosts, an African marabou arrived in Vitebsk

December 14, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. With the first frosts, an African marabou appeared in Vitebsk. The bird of savannas and open woodlands, living south of the Sahara, has unexpectedly become another inhabitant of the Vitebsk Zoo, the director of the Vitebsk Zoo, Alexey Andreikov, told a BELTA correspondent. The exotic bird was delivered to the zoo today by specialists from the Vitebsk District Inspectorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. According to them, the marabou was found by residents of the village of Zadubrovka, Vitebsk region. For three days, compassionate villagers in a barn fed and warmed the ungainly guest with a bald head and a huge beak, resembling a stork and a heron at the same time. According to Alexey Andreikov, the marabou is feeling well, it is difficult to determine its age yet - Vitebsk veterinarians have never dealt with such feathered birds. Currently, the African bird is under quarantine, under the supervision of veterinarians. It has been given a special house. For now, it is only possible to speculate how the marabou ended up in Belarus. It is possible that the bird was kept in a private or state zoo and flew away. Although no reports have been received from zoos. Despite the unexpected hassle, the Vitebsk Zoo is happy with the exotic bird. Specialists quickly got down to books and the Internet to study the habits and preferences of the new resident. They plan to feed it meat. 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's head is bald, with a large and thick beak. Young birds are less colorful than mature ones. Unlike other storks, marabous do not extend their necks in flight, but arch them like herons. They live near water bodies, feed on carrion, and fight with vultures and jackals for it. -0-