When you're traveling with a gangster cat like Theo, don't even think of visiting a zoo, especially the Tiergarten Schonbrunn, without visiting the aviary exhibit. But stay clear of the vultures!
We're on our way to find the elusive polar bears when Theo spots the sign for the birds. It's beginning to rain, and Theo doesn't like getting wet. We'll duck in for a minute. What can go wrong?
We pass a few exhibits of birds--no idea what kind of birds we're looking at and no time at all to find out. Immediately Theo is enthralled. He stops, crouches down and begins to do what cats always do when they spot a bird--their tails wag back and forth, their mouth opens and they make a half cackling half I'm going to bite your head off sound.
I've seen Theo react this way many times before. Theo can be behind glass and the birds can be way off in the trees somewhere, but if he spots them, he wants them.
"I just want to sniff them," he says all innocence but you would have to be insane to let Theo get within 50 feet of a bird. Sure, they can fly, but this kid is fast. That urge to sniff a bird propels him like a rocket.
Which is exactly what happens. Theo disappears and reappears in front of the vulture exhibit. It is the bird to beat all birds. Mr. Vulture has a black body, red head devoid of feathers, and a wingspan of about three feet.
We notice he is carrying a mouse in his mouth. I've never seen that before. The poor thing--Mickey, Minnie (my heart breaks to think about it) is half in and half out. I can see its tail dangling down.
Theo is enthralled. A few minutes turns into many minutes as Theo watches this vulture perch on a branch, a mouse dangling from his mouth. Will the vulture eat the mouse in front of us? Will he drop it and will it scurry away in a last bid for survival?
I know little about vultures, only what I've seen in movies so I consult David Swanson's article on vultures: What do vultures eat?
I learn a slew of disgusting facts. Despite the fact that vultures have a perfect sense of smell, excellent eyesight and can fly high above the Earth's surface, they smell terrible because they're not only carnivores but can feed on rotting carcasses like mice, lizards and insects. They have a highly acidic stomach which breaks down their food quickly and prevents them from getting sick from botulism, etc. They also have a unique defense mechanism--they can vomit the entire contents of their stomach to distract a predator, giving them time to fly off and reach speeds of about 30 miles per hour. They can consume 20% of their body weight in one sitting. And they urinate on their own legs to lower their body heat. That's why he stinks.
Because Mr. Vulture is behind glass, we can't smell him or hear him, but vultures do hiss, grunt and cackle as they feast. They are messy eaters but afterwards will take a swim and meticulously clean themselves.
It hits me. Should I be letting Theo get too close and watch a potential massacre unfold? Is he old enough for this? Then I realize the poor little mouse is dead so there won't be much drama. Of course, meanwhile, Theo is sniffing, sniffing the outside of the cage looking for a way in. I don't doubt it for a minute.
I try to get a video because frankly I'm a bit mesmerized myself, but there's an horrendous glare on the glass. We wait another few minutes, but the vulture does absolutely nothing.
"Theo, can we go now?"
It has stopped raining temporarily, and we have a far way to walk to reach the subway station and get back to our hotel.
If Theo could moonwalk backwards, he would. Imagine watching the final episode of a blockbuster series and your partner threatens to turn it off. Theo wants to see everything.
Dan comes to the rescue. "We have to go now."
Eventually Theo is ready. Fun fact: despite the disgusting nature of vultures, they are considered friendly and even harmless birds that other birds avoid--you guessed it--because they smell so bad.
