Black Vulture Attacks on Animals May Be Increasing

Mr. Cain would like to see federal law changed to help farmers. “We’ve asked Congress for a safe harbor provision,” he said. “If they see depredation occurring, it’s unreasonable to say, ‘I am going to go back home and get a permit application and wait two days and get the permit.’ When they see it occurring, it makes a whole lot more sense to protect your livestock then.”

The attack of a vulture on live prey is a grim scenario, farmers say. “The birds zero in during birth — essentially at the most vulnerable moment,” Mr. Slipher said. “Literally as the calf is on the way out of its mother we’re getting black vultures attacking the calf and attacking the mother.”

The bird often picks out the eyes, the nose, mouth and navel. Farmers say each animal that dies is valued at $1,000.

They are a nuisance for other reasons, too: They tear asphalt shingles off houses, rip off windshield wipers and rubber seals around vehicle sunroofs, and tear up seat covers on farm equipment and boats.

Their stomach acid is nearly as corrosive as battery acid, and their droppings, urine and vomit can eat away at roofs, towers and others places where they roost.

But vultures are also a proven and critical part of the ecosystem. Massive die-offs of vultures took place in India, for example, because of widespread use of a veterinary drug toxic to the birds. That led to an increase in rabies. Vultures used to clean up dead cattle and other waste; when they disappeared, dogs began feeding off the waste, and as their numbers increased, so did the incidence of rabies.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/science/vultures-animal-attacks.html