Vultures have been caught hiding some wild medieval treasures in their nests | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Hoarding is a common animal behaviour. Lots of creatures cache food for times of scarcity.

You probably know that squirrels hide nuts and wood mice store seeds, but did you know that fire ants stockpile excess food in the warmest part of their nests to create ‘insect jerky’? You do now.

Other animals hoard items for their homes. Decorator crabs collect seaweed, anemones and sponges to camouflage their shells, while bone-house wasps collect ant corpses, which they use to seal the entrance to their nest.

But all these trinkets pale into insignificance when compared with the hoarding of the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).

With wingspans of up to 3m (10ft), they are some of Europe’s largest birds of prey, or raptors. They typically pair for life and return to the same cliffside nest sites every year.