A baby vulture at a New York zoo is being fed not by another bird but by a hand puppet — a decades-old technique used to ensure the chick doesn’t identify too closely with its human handlers.

The zookeeper then uses the hand puppet to feed the baby bird, which is inside a brooder that is serving as a nest for the chick.CNN reports that the bird’s gender has yet to be determined.

NEW YORK – A baby vulture at a New York zoo ... Footage of a feeding session shows someone with their arm clad in black and a puppet that looks like a vulture’s face and beak on their hand ...

A baby vulture at a New York zoo is being fed not by another bird but by hand puppet - a decades-old technique used to ensure the chick doesn't identify too closely with its human handlers.

A baby vulture at the Bronx ... feeds with the help of a hand puppet (Terria Clay/Wildlife Conservation Society via AP) Footage of a feeding session shows someone with their arm clad in black ...