Zavfaraa



The zavfaraa ("vulpard" in English) is a quadrupedal creature that can be encountered on Forerunner Halo installations and other non-ring locations.

History
Prior to the Battle of Installation 04 in September 2552, members of the Covenant had encountered zavfaraa in their travels through the Milky Way. During the conflict on the ring, the Smart AI Cortana discovered records of the creature residing on Installation 04.

Anatomy and physiology
The zavfaraa was given the nickname of "vulpard" by humans due to it possessing a hooked beak similar to Earth's vultures (although their equivalent sported two upper mandibles), and a spotted feline-like body akin to those of leopards. However, genetic analysis has confirmed that the zavfaraa is not related to any Earth creature, instead revealing unusual—and likely artificial—DNA sequences shared by rangmejo, another creature that can be found on Forerunner worlds.

Production notes
Vulpards were originally meant to appear as an ambient lifeform in Halo: Combat Evolved, but were one of creatures cut from the game. The design has numerous similarities to the Quadwing (also cut from Combat Evolved), though unlike the Blind Wolves, there is no evidence to suggest they were intended to be rideable by the player. As part of efforts of the Digsite team in 2023, the vulpard's model was recovered and made accessible by modders on the PC edition of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Simultaneously, the vulpard was made a canon creature in a Canon Fodder post.