When an animal feeds primarily on dead or decaying matter, it is known as a scavenger. Scavengers — like vultures, hyenas, and raccoons — often have bad reputations due to their association with garbage and death. But they are actually an essential part of a functioning ecosystem. Scavengers are nature’s cleanup crew, eating parts of carcasses that other animals won’t touch. They speed up the decomposition process, helping to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem and prevent the spread of diseases.
One scavenger whose reputation has gotten a major upgrade is the greater adjutant stork, a towering bird with a remarkable comeback story you can watch in the Wild Hope episode “Stork Sisters.”