A CUTE, white and fluffy chick at a bird sanctuary is charming visitors at the moment – but she is going to grow up into a vicious-looking vulture.

The 12in-high chick named Mo is the first turkey vulture to be born at Redcar's Kirkleatham Owl Centre in a decade and was hatched to parents Jake and Gertie.

However she is being hand-reared by volunteers at the centre.

"'We wanted our pair to rear the chicks themselves; but we had a problem with the shell of the eggs," said manager Craig Wesson.

"We actually had four eggs but three failed to hatch. In fact little Mo had to be helped out of her egg and it's amazing she's here at all.

"The only thing that maybe lets her down a bit in the cuteness stakes is what she eats: a diet of minced quail, chicken and rat."

Turkey vultures are found in North and South America and scavenge, often eating roadkill in areas near people. The species is not endangered, although other types of vultures, especially in Africa and Asia are becoming increasingly rare.

Mo has tripled in size since she hatched and it's hoped she will be able to take part in flying displays and in Kirkleatham Owl Centre's outreach education programmes.

Find out more about threats facing vultures in the wild at save-vultures.org