Savage vulture attack kills calf on Spanish farm

A PREDATORY vulture attack has killed a two-day-old calf on a livestock farm located in the municipality of Herguijuela del Campo (Salamanca).

According to the professional organisation Asaja Salamanca, the savage attack, which took place on August 19 on a farm located in the Guijuelo district, is the second of its nature in just several days.

“Eight days ago we suffered another attack of the same nature and in the same place’, said the farmer, as stated in the information provided by Asaja Salamanca.

Farmers attributed changes in vulture behaviour, due to food shortages caused by sanitary regulations, to increasing livestock attacks.

However, as vultures lack the powerful feet that are characteristic of other raptors like eagles and hawks, they take advantage of ‘weak’ prey, especially during the cattle birthing season, as was the case of the two-day-old calf found dead in Herguijuela del Campo.

Given this fact and the recent, repeated attacks, Asaja Salamanca has demanded that the Junta de Castilla y Leon should ‘compensate’ the farmers who’s livestock is threatened and killed in this manner.

According to Asaja Salamanca other regions in Spain already remunerate farmers who lose livestock in a similar nature and insist that the Junta should implement a compensation system similar to that in place with wolves.

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