Posted on 05/04/2008 7:51:24 PM PDT by blam
Killer ravens attack livestock
By Bonnie Malkin
Last Updated: 8:34PM BST 04/05/2008
Deadly attacks by large groups of ravens on young livestock are on the increase, farmers have warned. Lambs, calves and sheep are being targeted across Britain, but especially in Scotland and Wales.
The ravens flock together to attack their victims in scenes which some describe as reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds.
Even if the animals survive the attacks, they are left in excruciating pain.
Ravens, which almost became extinct in Britain during the 19th century, are a protected species, but the rise in the number of attacks has led farmers to demand the right to kill them.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland said farmers who could prove their livestock was under threat could apply for a licence to kill ravens, but added: "We think that provision is adequate."
Johnny Hall, the head of rural policy for the National Farmers Union of Scotland, said his members had been hit hardest by the resurgence of ravens.
Recently the birds had become more brazen, he said, attacking adult livestock as well as the young.
"It's not just an issue with them taking lambs. We have substantial evidence of them attacking adult sheep and calves too. The attacks are so horrific that it's causing mental suffering to people who find the animals," he told The Observer.
Farmers in west Wales have also complained that their sheep are falling prey to the growing raven population.
"The attacks on livestock are becoming a problem, but there's not a lot we can do about it," a spokesman for NFU Cymru told the paper.
Ravens traditionally eat carrion, but they are also highly opportunistic and are known to prey on small mammals.
I was in Banff this past November and saw about 40-60 Ravens on the front lawn of a home. The lawn was about 75 feet by 75 feet.
It was quite a sight to see.
I have a picture of one sitting on the closed tailgate of a full size pickup. They were equal in height.
A shotgun? In England?
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. That’ll fix em.
Wait until they start finding decapitated humans!!!
Oh yea, no big deal.
Muslims by ground , ravens by air...they are just screwed.
Unless they can teach ravens to attack sheets. (snicker)
Just wait ‘til killer rabbits make a comeback.
A British farmer or a hunter of higher class gentry, with sterling qualities, may obtain a license to have a hunting long gun (never a pistol). This is true.
A shotgun nd #6 shot should do well.
When I was a kid I was never able to kill a crow with a shotgun. If I had a shotgun they'd park themselves in a tree just out of range and literally yell at me. If I went outside with a .22 they'd disappear.
Hippies?
Nevermore.
Yes, but Global Warming is Bush’s Fault, so by default everything comes back to him, doesn’t it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.