Corpse-finding vultures trained by German police

The vultures' habits are not a perfect fit for the job of detective...

German police are training vultures to find dead bodies.  Yes, this splendidly Gothic idea is being piloted, according to the BBC, because:

The vultures are thought to be better than sniffer dogs at finding bodies when a large area has to be searched and the terrain is difficult, for example if it is densely overgrown.

Some fine Gothic touches:

Police used a piece of shroud from a mortuary for the training exercise, German media report...

But the experiment raises ethical concerns because of the risk that a vulture could start pecking at a dead body, the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper says.

The names are a cute nod to English-language detective fiction: Sherlock, Miss Marple, Columbo.

(via Pop Sci)