Vulture attacks and injures woman in her garden in France

An 86-year old woman was left severely injured after a vulture attacked her in her garden, in what is believed to be the first recorded wild vulture attack in France.

The attack lasted several minutes with the wild bird’s talons and claws causing wounds that reached to the bones on the woman’s ankles and arms.

The victim has also potentially lost the use of two of her fingers after tendons in her hand were severed by the bird’s claws.

The attack happened in the small commune of Verrières, near the Gorges du Tarn, in Aveyron in late September. Vultures have been reintroduced to the ecosystem there.

The bird which carried out the attack has not been found.

Wildlife experts believe it is the first case of its kind in France, or potentially the world.

Earlier this year, a woman was attacked by a vulture at a falconry centre, but the animal was captive and not wild. 

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Commune paying for treatment 

The woman’s treatment is not covered by her insurance, nor civil liability cover, leaving her facing mounting bills for the injuries, said Jérôme Mouriès, the mayor of Verrières. 

The Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), which helped reintroduce the birds into the area, covers the cost of treatment for injuries to birds, but not to humans. 

“We, the commune, took it upon ourselves to support her,” the mayor said to media outlet France Bleu.

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First attack of its kind

Images and videos of the attack were caught on camera, which the LPO said was vital for verification of the event. 

“The director [of the LPO] called me. He said to me ‘without the photos, we would not believe it. Never in France, in Europe or anywhere else has a vulture attacked a human being’,” the mayor said. 

“There are more and more vultures. We may have to regulate them,” he added. 

The most recent statistics from the LPO stated there were around 850 pairs of vultures capable of breeding in Aveyron, with around 500 born each year. 

Despite once being endangered in the area, the reintroduction has led to a boom in the local population, covering four different species – all of which are protected.

This is not only causing problems for local farmers, but also changing the nature of how the vulture population lives in the area. 

“Vultures are no longer simple scavengers, they are on the attack,” said Rémi Agrinier, head of the local Jeunes Agriculteurs de l’Aveyron, claiming the birds frequently poach livestock.

“The vulture population has grown to the point of becoming too numerous,” he added.

“The LPO must take action and get rid of these deviant vultures…The vulture must remain a scavenger, cleaning up corpses, and not become what it is today: an animal that is dangerous to other species, including humans.” 

“The LPO must assume responsibility and act to ensure that there are no more attacks by removing individuals,” said Mr Agrinier.

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