This is a stern face! It reminds me of my schoolboy days in South Africa when I'd be daydreaming (or something more naughty, perhaps) while the teacher, Miss Haines, was talking, and the room would go quiet. I'd suddenly be aware, moments later, of the
silence. I'd look up, and she would be staring right at me!!
Those piercing eyes! Besides instantly needing to use the bathroom, there would be a sudden itch on my foot that needed attention, or perhaps a fly on my neck that needed to be swatted. Anything! Anything to evade the obvious. It was no good. This "white-backed vulture teacher" of
mine had locked on, and that was that!
In reality, though, this bird does that! This vulture can spot a 3-ft. carcass on the ground four miles away! Their eyesight is eight times better than that of a human. (Of course, Miss Haines' eyesight didn't need to be that good - just enough to spell impending doom!)
And it's a good thing, because they provide an amazing service. Vultures help to clean up carcasses of dead animals, and by doing so, they help to prevent dangerous viruses and bacteria from growing as the carcasses decompose. They can eat things that would kill most people, and have the strongest stomach acid in the animal kingdom! It’s even stronger than
battery acid! This stomach acid neutralizes organisms that cause disease, and therefore these birds help to limit the risk of disease spreading to humans and other animals.
Unfortunately, this species is very endangered, and much of it is due to poisoning by poachers who don't want their positions given away by these birds who have spotted
their victims. This is all part of the vicious cycle of the curse, though. First, you have death. A dead animal. Death is part of the curse. Then, you have a specific creature modified by God to help control the negative effects of that death, at least in certain animals. But then, you have poachers -- humans operating illegally, and then furthering the problem by bringing about the death of the creatures designed to be a help! What a mess we humans have made of
things!...
