Got Nature? Blog

Pat Zollner, professor of wildlife science, and doctoral student Marian Wahl are researching black vultures in Indiana in order to better understand vulture ecology as well as to develop methods to mitigate future harm to Indiana and Kentucky livestock.

In addition to looking to see what causes some black vulture to become aggressive predators of livestock, instead of simply scavengers, the research group also is looking to learn signs that can determine whether an animal has been killed by vultures or simply scavenged.

For their knowledge of and research on black vultures, Zollner and Wahl were interviewed by the New York Times for its article “Black Vulture Attacks on Animals May Be Increasing.”

“What is totally unknown in Indiana and most places is how often this (predation) happens,” Zollner said. “Addressing that gap is one of the goals of our research.”

More on Zollner and Wahl’s black vulture research and how you can help by either taking an online survey or donating calves believed to have been killed by black vultures can be found in “Citizen Participation Needed in Black Vulture Research.”

Some of the group’s research efforts were recently featured in a pictorial titled “A Day on the SIPAC Farm.” See Wahl, Zollner and undergraduate students Gabrielle Dennis and Danielle Jones in action in the photo feature by Tom Campbell.

This article is also shared on Forestry & Natural Resources News area.

Resources:
Citizen Participation Needed in Black Vulture Research, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Blog
Black Vulture Research, Perry County News & March Edition of Beef Monthly
Black Vulture Ecology and Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Purdue FNR, Dr. Pat Zollner’s Website
Livestock, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources