STUB - Griffons

Griffon describes a category of winged creatures that are part bird, part other animal. The two most common griffons are the hippogriff, which is half-horse, half-eagle, and the leonogriff, which is half-lion and half-bird. The front half of all griffons are bird, the other half resembling another animal. They possess only animal intelligence, but are the bane of many ranchers. All griffons share some traits. They are meat eaters, and prey frequently on domesticated animals. They are solitary, and never observed in more than a family group. Griffons have bird wings and are capable of flight. All known griffon species have the posterior of a mammal, though scholars theorize the potential for reptilian griffons.
In The Nomad Plains, where they are found in abundance, they are hunted with tenacity and ferociousness. Their feathers and hides used for clothing, decoration, and homes. The Talka have little love for these predators.
However, in other places, they are sometimes kept as pets by the very rich. Griffons are not domesticable, though if a human imprints on a hatchling early enough the animal can usually be raised to be less aggressive and generally non-violent. Griffons are, however, unilaterally large and fly. Thus they require a great deal of space, and a great deal of food -- not to mention the mess they make. Therefore only the very rich can keep them - especially since they cannot be trained to perform useful work.
The advent of the rich keeping griffons has prompted the creation of a few ranches worldwide dedicated to breeding non-aggressive griffons of various types. Each specializes in a particular breed. One of them, in Tyleria, has been trying to breed "mini-griffons" of a much smaller size, presumably making them affordable by less affluent persons eventually.