Panic As 10,000 Hungry Vultures Go Searching For Fresh Meat

The Times Online (U.K.) ^ | August 6, 2007 | By Adam Sage in Paris

[BenLurkin]

Is this another asinine situation created by kooks interested in “peserving” a species?

[Mark]

They could make a movie about this....oh, wait.. already did.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Alain Larralde, a cattle breeder in Ilharre in the French Basque country, said that in May he saw dozens of birds circle and kill a cow. “There were so many of them that they covered the entire meadow,” he said. “Then I saw the cow slumped on the ground in the middle being devoured. It really hurt. You can’t image what it’s like to see an animal being eaten alive.”

Not that I'm an expert in vulture behavior, but I don't believe this. More likely the vultures converged on a nearly dead cow and began feeding while it could still move a bit. As I understand it, vultures aren't social animals that hunt as a group - they're solitary scavengers that converge on animal carcasses.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Funeral Customs in Tibet

On arriving, people will burn bunches of cypress branches to notify the divine vultures. The rising smoke summons the vultures flocking there. Now the celestial burial master begins to cut apart the corpse. He will incise it from its back, take out the bowels, separate the muscle from the bones, and crush the skeleton with stone, then mix this with tsampa. Then the master will first feed the vultures with the bowels, then with the bones and at last with the meats. If the vultures eat all with nothing remaining, it means the dead had not committed any sin while living, and his soul will be guided to ‘heaver’. If white vultures eat first, it is regarded as the most auspicious sign; while if the vultures eat nothing or eat only a part, then the remains will be burned, and the ashes will be spread over. In this case, the family members should commission monks to chant scripture, and release the soul from purgatory. Afterwards, the deputies of the family will treat the master with meat and wine. Yet within certain period of time, the master is not allowed to visit the family of the dead to avoid taking the soul back his home.

http://www.tibet-tours.com/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=1886

[Centurion2000]

Prey switching is a common tactic used by species to survive.

Charles Pellgrino used a very interesting prey switching plot device in his book Dust.

The species : mites
The controlling species : insects (died out)
New target of trillions of mites : Humans

[Hugin]

“Ain’t ya gonna bury ‘em?”

“Buzzards gotta eat, same as the worms.”

—The Outlaw Josie Wales

[2111USMC]

"They are up to 43 inches (110cm) long, with wingspans of up to 110 inches. They weigh up to 22lb (10kg) and can live for up to 40 years"

Pretty good sized birds. I think I'd go with No. 4 shot.

[RichInOC]

Send Michael Moore.

[Westlander]

[Old Sarge]

Panic As 10,000 Hungry Vultures Go Searching For Fresh Meat

Not another White House Presser??

[Calpernia]

>>>>Panic As 10,000 Hungry Vultures Go Searching For Fresh Meat

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington....

Oh sorry, it was just a thought :P

[Calpernia]

>>>>As I understand it, vultures aren’t social animals that hunt as a group - they’re solitary scavengers that converge on animal carcasses.

bump

[endthematrix]

"A 2006 European Union directive forced Spain to ban..."

Interdependence is akin to scavenging vultures.

[dighton]

[kitchen]

Pretty good sized birds. I think I'd go with No. 4 shot.

Preferably in a 10 gauge or, if you've got one in the back of the safe, a punt gun.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The French. Taste like chicken.

[wgflyer]

“They are up to 43 inches (110cm) long, with wingspans of up to 110 inches. They weigh up to 22lb (10kg) and can live for up to 40 years”

Griffin vultures are pretty impressive birds in flight. Occupying a thermal with one is awesome. Never felt much in danger, though. Rather, perhaps, just the vulture’s mirth in my attempts to keep up with him.

[Cobra64]

When I read that, it sounded like a Hillary fundraiser.

[blam]

Hey, We may have a solution. It wasn’t that long ago that I posted an article about the dreath of vultures in India to eat the dead of a certain sect there. There could be an import/export business calling here.