Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa.

The large animal had not been dead 24 hours but it was already unrecognizable except for its wildebeest horns. Lions and hyenas have already had their way with the remains, and now that the hard work of opening the carcass had been completed, the cleaning crew had moved in. At least three species of vultures, Ruppell’s griffon and white-backed and lappet-faced vultures, were on the ground and dropping in from the nearby tree, while others circled high in the sky. Squabbles, punctuated with hisses, outstretched wings and snapping beaks kept the dozen excited birds on alert, and there seemed to be more posturing than eating going on. When tempers diminished and a hierarchy was established, feeding commenced in earnest.

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