Vulture Awareness Day celebrated at Fresno Chaffee Zoo

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a special day for a few large flyers at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

Visitors were able to take part in International Vulture Awareness Day, and they got an up close experience with the birds and learned how they eat and play an important role in the environment.

"These guys have many adaptations that enable them to eat all sorts of dangerous diseases and bacteria," Maya Cheslek with the zoo said. "These guys are actually able to eat animals that have died from rabies and completely eradicate that bacteria."

This was the first ever International Vulture Awareness Day celebrated at the zoo.