Vulture Shock

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“

I don't need anyone to help me find the family tree because I'm going to find it myself!

―Kopa^[src]

”

Vulture Shock is a book inspired by The Lion King. It was published by Grolier Books in 1994 as the third book in The Lion King: Six New Adventures.

Synopsis

Family trees

Kopa, the young son of Simba and Nala, encounters several members of his pride. One of the lions, Leo, attempts to brag about his ancestors, but the other group members accuse him of being jealous of Simba's family tree. Misunderstanding, Kopa asks where his family tree grows, and the others answer in amusement that he should ask his father.

Kopa finds his father, Simba, who is attempting to solve a dispute between the antelope and an antagonistic hippopotamus named Kiboko. Kopa pressures his father to tell him where their family tree is, but Simba becomes overwhelmed with the pressures of the other Pride Landers and orders Kopa to leave him to his business. Hurt but determined, Kopa resolves to find their family tree on his own.

After settling the dispute, Simba wonders how he should explain their family tree to Kopa. He asks for suggestions from his majordomo, Zazu, who shows him a cave where the entire royal family is scratched into the surface of the rock. Rafiki appears at the mouth of the cave, taking credit for the records, and Simba thanks him.

Kidnapped

As Kopa searches for their family tree, he accidentally wanders into the desert and gets lost. The next morning, his sleeping body is found by two vultures named Chewa and Choyo, who decide to take him captive and demand a food bounty from his father, Simba. They trap him in a spiky nest and leave three vultures named Moja, Mbili, and Tatu to guard him.

The three vultures introduce themselves to Kopa and explain that the other members of their flock dislike their tendency to rap. Kopa implores them to get him some food, asserting that he won't be able to hear their rap with his stomach rumbling so loudly, and they fly off to retrieve him a meal.

With Kopa imprisoned, the flock begins to argue over which animals they should demand as food from Simba. They eventually decide to ask for a motley of live animals to be delivered to them. From the outskirts of the crowd, the Buzzard Boyz express disgust at their flock and decide to inform Simba of Kopa's location.

Saving Kopa

The Buzzard Boyz ask permission from Chewa to deliver the menu to Simba personally, but Chewa shows great reluctance. However, when the Buzzard Boyz break into song, he agrees to let them go to the Pride Lands, if only to get them to stop singing.

The Buzzard Boyz hasten to Pride Rock, where they inform Simba of Kopa's imprisonment and Chewa's dastardly plan. They use verse to communicate with the king, so as not to disobey Chewa, and Rafiki figures out the riddle to mean that Kopa is in the desert.

Together with the Pride Landers, Simba and Nala venture to the desert and rescue Kopa from the clutches of the vultures. As punishment, Simba sentences the vultures to listen to a Buzzard Boyz concert every week. The Pride Landers then thank the Buzzard Boyz for their help, with Kopa complimenting their raps.

Once reunited with his son, Simba explains to Kopa that a family tree is a record of a family line. The Buzzard Boyz then break into song about how every animal has a family tree.