Lappet-faced or Nubian Vulture

The Hausas, an African tribe, developed a tale based on this great vulture.  According to the legend, there was an enormous bird called the Jipillima, that feasted on humans, but whose droppings had the ability to cure anything.  One day, the king's son became ill because an evil witch had forced magic thorns into his body.  A young woman in love with the prince went out in search of a cure for him.  Coming across a tree full of Jipillimas, she heard them talking of the sick man, after complaining of their hunger--they had only eaten 99 men that day!  She heard them telling that the only way the man could be healed was if he were fed their droppings. So the girl hastily gathered up some droppings, took them back to the prince, and fed them to him.  He vomited up the painful thorns, and was healed.  The girl was rewarded by marrying the prince.

The Hausas, an African tribe, developed a tale based on this great vulture.  According to the legend, there was an enormous bird called the Jipillima, that feasted on humans, but whose droppings had the ability to cure anything.  One day, the king's son became ill because an evil witch had forced magic thorns into his body.  A young woman in love with the prince went out in search of a cure for him.  Coming across a tree full of Jipillimas, she heard them talking of the sick man, after complaining of their hunger--they had only eaten 99 men that day!  She heard them telling that the only way the man could be healed was if he were fed their droppings. So the girl hastily gathered up some droppings, took them back to the prince, and fed them to him.  He vomited up the painful thorns, and was healed.  The girl was rewarded by marrying the prince.