Video by joelsartore | A highly respected species within the Buddhist culture of the Tibetan plateau, the Himalayan griffon vulture plays a unique role in "sky burials," a tradition that has been practiced for centuries. It's believed that if vultures eat a corpse presented to them as part of the burial ceremony, the deceased has no sins and their soul has traveled peacefully to paradise. Because of this belief, this species has received protection from locals, which has likely played an important role in keeping the bird’s population stable. Video taken assamstatezoo. To see more species featured in the Photo Ark follow me, joelsartore. #griffonvulture #himalayan #scavenger #buddhist #skyburial #wildlifephotography #PhotoArk