by Chris Conte
GILES COUNTY, Tenn. - Farmers in Giles County have seen vultures circling high above every day, taunting both their cows and their livelihoods.
"It's nature at it's best I suppose," explained Wesley Archer who raises 210 cows on about 300 acres of land.
Wesley first noticed a new breed of black vultures last year, but figured the problem was just a fluke. This year has proven that theory wrong though.
"They're very, very aggressive," the 42-year-old said about the birds.
Grazing cows are safe from the vultures grasp, but what this new breed of ferocious fowl was looking for was a pregnant cow in labor.
"That situation right there (a cow in labor) that's the perfect situation where if I was not standing right here I guarantee vultures will swoop in and take that cows eyes out," he said.
And these vultures don't stop there. Once they attack the female cow they go after the newly born calve's hoofs.
"It's very soft, but there's a lot of nutrients in here for the bird so they will pluck these out," Wesley said.
Wesley can't leave any of his pregnant cattle alone now - they're easy prey. And it's cost him more than just man hours.
Technically farmers can't even shoot the black vultures because they're protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act, only compounding the problem for these farmers.
