Dead animals, instead for carrion birds

2009/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Abeltzaintza
• Zoologia

Farmers may leave the remains of cattle in pasture, in some cases

Dead animals can be returned to carrion birds thanks to regulatory amendments approved by the European Parliament and the European Commission. However, they can only be left in the pasture in cases where access is difficult and the danger of collecting the animal, and provided that the animal has not suffered contagious disease for humans or animals.

On the issue of mad cows, the countries of the European Union had to change the livestock management and start collecting the remains of cattle from the pastures. Until then, these remains were used as food for necrophagous species.

Since then, the lack of food in nature has affected the population of griffon vultures, especially in the Iberian peninsula. They have been seen hundreds of kilometers from their nests in search of food. Among the cattle ranchers there has also been alarm when there are in some cases attacks of vultures during the delivery of the sheep.