Black Vultures Continue to Be a Problem for Many Missouri Livestock Owners

A burgeoning black vulture population in Missouri has concerned several cattlemen across the state.

The large, predatory bird also has also had the attention of politicians.

Earlier this year the Missouri legislature appropriated more than a million dollars to the Missouri Department of Agriculture to help mitigate some of the problems they've caused for landowners and farmers. It will also be used to study their growth and behavior patterns.

They've been around southern portions of the Show-Me State for decades, but are now reaching further and further north, according to MDC, with a substantial growth in population.

"They're expanding their range north, as are a number of different species," MDC wildlife management's Alan Leary said. "We have had them for years down in areas like Bull Shoals Lake. Now they're in Jefferson City and even farther north."

Climate change is among the theories of the growth of the bird, which is also growing to be a nuisance for many Missourians.

The vultures, known mostly for consuming carcasses, are going after live calves shortly after their births, according to Davin Althoff, a spokesman for the Missouri Farm Bureau.

"They're aggressive birds," Althoff said. "They've been known to attack livestock. Cattle, sheep, swine and baby goats."

Black vultures have also been known to target a placenta in after-birth, often presenting an opportunity to attack the baby animal.

Source: news-leader.com

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock-Jaboticaba Images