Lotto vultures resort to bird-brained scheme
The traditional medicinal practice of smoking dried vulture brains to induce a vision of winning lotto numbers is killing off the bird's population in South Africa, researchers say.Scelo, a young healer in downturn Johannesburg's market for muti, or traditional medicine, says the birds are becoming more scarce.
"I only have one every three or four months," he said.
"Everybody asks for the brain. You see things that people can't see. For lotto, you dream the numbers."
Rolled into a cigarette or inhaled as vapours, vulture brains can also help at the horse races, boost an exam performance, or lure more clients to a business, according to believers.
Next to snake skins and ostrich feet, as well as donkey fat to chase away bad spirits, Scelo sells a small bottle with just a speck of ground brains for about 50 rand ($7.50).
The entire bird could go for 2,000 rand ($299).
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/28/2781643.htm 
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