Dead tourist devoured by vultures after fall

[Still Waters]

The body of a 52-year-old woman who fell to her death in the Pyrenees was devoured by Griffon vultures before emergency services were able to retrieve it.

Furious locals are demanding that authorities take action against the endangered carrion-eaters after they left only the woman's bones, clothes and shoes for burial.

Fear of the birds has been growing in recent years, which have reportedly also begun attacking live animals since a European edict that dead livestock must not be left in the fields.

http://www.dailymail...d-VULTURES.html

[Keel M.]

This is what these birds do! I don't imagine they are sitting around saying, "Well George, do you think they're going to come pick up the body or is it safe to eat?"

[shrooma]

I kinda wouldn't mind if that happened to me. apart from the fact that i'm a registered organ donor, i'd rather my body was recycled in that way, giving life to some animals rather than just rotting away underground, or being burned to ash!

the monks in tibet lay corpses out to be consumed, as a kind of 'cycle of life' thing, and I think that's very commendable of them!

:-)

Edited May 6, 2013 by shrooma

[Lilly]

Poor vultures, they are just doing their job in the natural order of things.

[Ashotep]

Wonder if lack of food is why these birds are eating animals alive. Hope the woman wasn't still alive when they started in on her.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Hilander

[shrooma]

Wonder if lack of food is why these birds are eating animals alive.

.

I wouldn't be so sure that they are hilander.

vultures are notorious carrion-eaters, very ungainly birds, not really equipt to hunt, and I can't really see 'em swooping down out of the sky enmasse, and having it away with cows, can you?

the people making the claims are probably farmers, and we all know how much european farmers love their EU subsidies.....

;-)

[Keel M.]

Yeah, if they attacked a living person, they wouldn't be called carrions, they'd be raptors.

[Ealdwita]

"Patience my ****, I'm gonna kill something!"

[mysticwerewolf]

as long as they didn't start eating before I was fully dead and gone, I'd rather be eaten by a vulture than pumped full of formaldehyde and buried next to everyone else.

[freetoroam]

Fear of the birds has been growing in recent years, which have reportedly also begun attacking live animals since a European edict that dead livestock must not be left in the fields.

Farmers want to be given the right to shoot the protected birds, which they say have started to prey on live sheep and cows.

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How about instead of killing the birds, they leave them out some dead livestock?

The locals are just using this womans death as an excuse to kill the birds, the woman was a tourist and fell 1000ft, can`t blame the birds for that!

Edited May 6, 2013 by freetoroam

[shrooma]

"Patience my ****, I'm gonna kill something!"

.

:-D

:-D

[Mistydawn]

Had a death in the family recently and was just thinking about the pros and cons of Burial vs Cremation. Hadn't thought of being eaten by vultures... still, you don't feel anything, your gone. It only matters to the living.

[Ealdwita]

Had a death in the family recently and was just thinking about the pros and cons of Burial vs Cremation. Hadn't thought of being eaten by vultures... still, you don't feel anything, your gone. It only matters to the living.

In fact, being eaten by worms or predators gives nutrients back to the world. By being cremated, you shuffle off this mortal coil in a thin plume of greasy smoke!

[Keel M.]

Fear of the birds has been growing in recent years, which have reportedly also begun attacking live animals since a European edict that dead livestock must not be left in the fields.

Farmers want to be given the right to shoot the protected birds, which they say have started to prey on live sheep and cows.

-------------------------------------------------------

How about instead of killing the birds, they leave them out some dead livestock?

The locals are just using this womans death as an excuse to kill the birds, the woman was a tourist and fell 1000ft, can`t blame the birds for that!

I visited the Yorkshire Dales Falconry Centre in 2010 and the centre is surrounded by livestock. And these birds are allowed to fly freely. While all the birds are well-fed, the carrion birds are especially so whenever the sheep are giving birth. The owners allow the birds to eat the afterbirth and any still births. I'm sure whenever an adult dies, they are given to the carrion birds as well.

I agree that the locals are using the woman's death as an excuse to get rid of the birds. They are merely doing what comes naturally.

[evancj]

We have upset the balance. It won't be long before the vultures have plenty of dead humans to eat.

[Clarakore]

Yeah, if they attacked a living person, they wouldn't be called carrions, they'd be raptors.

.

I wouldn't be so sure that they are hilander.

vultures are notorious carrion-eaters, very ungainly birds, not really equipt to hunt, and I can't really see 'em swooping down out of the sky enmasse, and having it away with cows, can you?

the people making the claims are probably farmers, and we all know how much european farmers love their EU subsidies.....

;-)

A 2011 report published in the science journal Nature revealed that the griffon vulture had turned from scavenger to predator in regions of southern France and Spain. Between 2006 and 2010 there were 1,165 reports of the bird of prey killing domestic livestock.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/woman-eaten-by-vultures-cliff_n_3224746.html

[Keel M.]

They probably turned from scavenger to predator out of self-preservation. Hunger happens to a lot of animals due to the selfishness of humans! I still take the side of the birds. I love these birds and all the predatory birds. They are magnificent creatures.

My favourite one of all........

(and the only cartoon character I can mimic and make my mother laugh )

Edited May 7, 2013 by Kasey2601