Meet the real-life Buckbeak…kinda

Remember Buckbeak, the haughty Hippogriff from the Harry Potter movies? There’s a real-life version of of him in Uganda…sorta.

You all remember Buckbeak, I take it. A half-eagle, half-horse hybrid called a Hippogriff, Buckbeak was regal, proud, and gentle…so long as you showed him the proper respect. Usually, that meant bowing. If you didn’t observe the proper procedures, Buckbeak wouldn’t hesitate to tear you a new one, as Draco Malfoy learned too late.

Now, the world has discovered what’s being billed as a “real life Hippogriff.” Technically, it’s a Shoebill Stork named Sushi, but it does look dangerous, and it requires that you bow to it before coming any closer. Otherwise, it just flies off, which is better than goring would-be wildlife enthusiasts.

See Shushi in action below.

As the video points out, there may be as few as 5000 Shoebill Storks in the world, making them very rare. I dunno if I would go so far as to claim that they’re “just as uncommon as the mythical Hippogriff,” though. After all, Shoebill Storks are…y’know, real, while Hippogriffs are made-up. So far as I know, anyway.

All the same, Sushi looks almost as outlandish as Buckbeak. No, he doesn’t have the body of a horse, but that enormous beak isn’t something you’re going to find on any bird at the park. He looks like he could do some damage with it, too, were he so inclined. Thank god all he does is fly away if disrespected.

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Sushi lives on the lives at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, a major town in Central Uganda. If you have a few extras hundred thousand dollars to spend on on Harry Potter-related vacations, consider adding that to your list.

h/t Metro