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| Vultures | |
|---|---|
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Feather color |
Blue, gray, and pink |
| Eye color |
Black |
| Distinctions |
• Hooked beaks |
| Sociocultural characteristics | |
| Habitat |
• Desert |
| Dominions |
• Desert |
| Diet | |
| Notable members | |
| “ | Pumbaa: Bowling for buzzards! Timon: Gets 'em every time! |
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Vultures are a species of animal native to the desert, the Outlands, and the Pride Lands. They feed on carrion.
History
Attack on Simba
When a young Simba collapsed in the desert, several vultures gathered around his body. Before they could harm him, Timon and Pumbaa chased them away.[1]
Mzingo's report on the Lion Guard
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Upon overhearing Kion and Bunga discussing the new Lion Guard, Mzingo visited the Outlands volcano and informed Janja of what he had learned. Together, the hyenas and vultures plotted to attack the Pride Lands before the new Lion Guard could come into its power.
That evening, they snuck into the Pride Lands and attacked a herd of gazelles. From afar, Ono realized that Mzingo was telling the hyenas which gazelle to attack next. As one, the Lion Guard attacked the invaders, with Ono defeating Mzingo in a midair duel.[2]
Mzingo's report on Kiara
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While in the Pride Lands, Mzingo overheard Simba discussing how he had left his daughter, Kiara, in charge of the Pride Lands temporarily. Shortly afterwards, he witnessed Kion deliberately disobeying Kiara's orders. Journeying to the Outlands, Mzingo reported to Janja that the royal siblings were squabbling in the wake of Simba's absence, and Janja resolved to take advantage of the situation.
Later, Mzingo approached Kiara on Pride Rock and informed her that Janja wished to discuss a peace proposal at Broken Rock. Though suspicious, Kiara promised to think the offer over.[3]
Ono's eye injury
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One day, while flying around the Pride Lands, Mwoga ran into Ono midair. Though at first annoyed, he soon realized that Ono had injured his eye and could not help the rest of the Lion Guard. Upon returning to the Outlands, Mwoga reported what he had seen to his parliament, who decided to monitor the situation.[4]
Jackal theft
When Kion permitted Reirei's pack to live in the Pride Lands, one of her pups stole a bone from a vulture.[5]
Mzingo's parliament attacks Fuli
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One day, Fuli wore herself out and passed out beneath a tree in which Mzingo's parliament was perched. From above, the parliament performed their anthem. Before long, they spotted Fuli lying beneath their tree and resolved to eat her. Though Fuli attempted to defend herself, she proved to be too fatigued and weak, and the vultures nearly overwhelmed her. Just in time, the rest of the Lion Guard approached and drove the parliament off, with Kion using the Roar of the Elders to blow them away.[6]
Mzingo's parliament attacks the baby baboon
| “ | Ono: Mzingo and the vultures. They're circling... Fuli: And that usually is a sign of trouble.
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While patrolling the Pride Lands with the rest of the Lion Guard, Ono spotted Mzingo's parliament circling in the distance. Upon drawing closer, the Guard realized that the vultures were attacking a baby baboon. They quickly jumped to the infant's defense, and the vultures fled.
Later, while Fuli was escorting the baby baboon home, she ran into Mzingo's parliament once more. Mzingo questioned her on where the baby baboon had gone, and she lied that he had likely found his way home. She then threatened to eat Mzingo, and he and his parliament flew away in fear.
With the vultures gone, Fuli returned the baby baboon to his troop at Mapango Cliffs. However, as she was readying to leave, Mzingo's parliament attacked the baboons, and she doubled back to help them. Together, she and the troop drove the vultures away.[7]
Mwoga's alliance with Mpishi
| “ | Mpishi: What do you say? Wouldn't you like a fresh meal? Mwoga: Fresh? Bleagh! This beak only touches Grade A carrion! |
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When a harrier hawk named Mpishi began hunting in the Pride Lands, Mwoga tailed her in the hopes of picking off some of her leftovers. Upon noticing him following her, she proposed that they work together. Though they briefly bickered over whether fresh food or carrion was better, they ultimately formed an alliance, with Mwoga vowing to help Mpishi avoid the Lion Guard.
Shortly afterwards, Mpishi captured a baby hamerkop. With help from Mwoga, she kept the infant from falling back into the Lion Guard's clutches. As Mwoga was flying, however, Bunga knocked him out of the sky. Meanwhile, Ono and Kulinda defeated Mpishi.[8]
Army of Scar's reveal to the Lion Guard
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At some point, Mzingo and his parliament allied with the resurrected spirit of Scar. One day, the Lion Guard journeyed to the Outlands volcano in search of volcanic ash, the only antidote for Simba's ailment. However, Scar summoned his army and made them corner the Lion Guard in the volcano. In order to escape, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow the army out of his path.
As the Lion Guard fled with the volcanic ash, Scar sent Mzingo's parliament to retrieve it. Though the vultures attempted to wrestle the gourd full of ash from Makini, Kion blew them away with the Roar of the Elders.[9]
Fire at Kilio Valley
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Per Scar's instructions, Mzingo's parliament set fire to Kilio Valley, while the rest of the Army of Scar drove out the elephants and the Lion Guard. Once the Pride Landers had been defeated, Scar ordered his army to remain in Kilio Valley. Once he had gone, the different Outlander factions began to argue over which of them should lead, with Mzingo asserting his own authority as a leader.[10]
Mzingo's parliament guards the Outlands
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One day, Ono attempted to spy on Scar and his army, only for Mzingo and Mwoga to spot him and chase him back to the Pride Lands.[11]
Mzingo sets fire to the mudpots
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Upon learning that Kion, Kiara, and their friends were playing in the mudpots, Scar sent Mzingo to set fire to the nearby grasslands. He did so, and the cubs were forced to flee the area.[12]
Mzingo's parliaments' attacks on the Pride Lands
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One day, unbeknownst to the Lion Guard, Mzingo's parliament began raining fiery sticks on the Pride Lands, endangering Twiga's herd in the process. Though Ono attempted to find the source of the fiery sticks, the high altitude forced him to return to his teammates. Getting an idea, Beshte proposed they recruit Anga, a high-flying martial eagle, for help.
Upon agreeing to help the Lion Guard, Anga hastened to the sight of another fiery attack and flew high enough to spot Mzingo's parliament dropping fiery sticks on the Pride Lands. The vultures soon noticed her approach and retreated out of fear. Afterwards, she reported what she had seen to the Lion Guard, who resolved to recruit the Pride Lands' birds to help them defeat the vultures.
Later that day, Mzingo's parliament began dropping fiery sticks on the Maumivu Thorn Patch. With Hadithi as their rallying leader, the Pride Lander birds fought the vultures in midair until Hadithi fell out of the sky and became badly wounded. In his stead, Ono led the Pride Lands' birds in rounding up the vultures, after which Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blast them out of the Pride Lands.[13]
Battle for the Pride Lands
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Per Scar's command, Mzingo's parliament set fire to Pride Rock, only to be chased away by Anga and her allies.
Later, when the Pride Landers invaded the Outlands, Mzingo's parliament joined the rest of Scar's army in repelling them. However, Anga and several Pride Lander birds defeated the vultures. After the battle, most of the Outlanders submitted to Jasiri as the new queen of the Outlands. Initially, Mzingo suggested a run-off election, but when Cheezi and Chungu threatened him, he rescinded his suggestion and voiced his support of Jasiri.[14]
Battle between the Outsiders and Simba's pride
Several vultures gathered for the battle between the Outsiders and Simba's pride.[15]
Mzingo's parliament assists Jasiri
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When Jasiri returned to the Outlands from her trip to the Tree of Life, Mzingo's parliament approached her, and she asked them to help the Lion Guard ensure peace in the Pride Lands. After putting it to a vote, Mzingo acquiesced to her request. Together, the Guard and their allies headed toward the Pride Lands, only to be intercepted at the border by Vitani and her independently formed Lion Guard. During the ensuing battle, Ono led Mzingo's parliament in distracting Vitani's scout, Tazama. Eventually, Kiara intervened and explained that the Outsiders had joined Simba's pride, and the Lion Guard agreed to return to the Pride Lands peacefully. With the conflict settled, the Outlanders returned home.[16]
Physical characteristics
Vultures are moderately sized birds with thin necks, hunched backs, and hooked beaks. They tend to have black or blue feathers, with pale ruffs, pink necks, and red-tipped orange beaks. Most vultures have stunt feathers on top of their heads.[6]
Sociocultural characteristics
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Vultures live in the desert and the Outlands,[1] though they often frequent the Pride Lands.[2] They feast almost exclusively on carrion,[8] only occasionally hunting live prey if it is weak and cannot defend itself.[6] They can fly at extremely high altitudes.[13]
Notable vultures
Appearances
Trivia
- An early draft of The Lion King called King of the Kalahari featured a vulture named Skobi.[17]
- The 1990 draft of The Lion King featured two vultures named Kobi and Prita.[18]
- In The Lion Guard, Mzingo's parliament hunts large, live, and healthy animals. In reality, vultures are scavengers who only eat the remains of an animal that has already died. The only instances in which they actually hunt are when an animal is severely injured, sick, or on the verge of death.[19]
References
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