Killer ravens attack livestock*

By Bonnie Malkin
Last updated: 8:34 PM BST 04/05/2008

Deadly attacks by large groups of ravens on young livestock are on the
increase, UK farmers have warned.

Lambs, calves and sheep are being targeted across Britain, but
especially in Scotland and Wales.

The ravens flock together to attack their victims in scenes which some
describe as reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds.

Even if the animals survive the attacks, they are left in excruciating pain.

Ravens, which almost became extinct in Britain during the 19th century,
are a protected species, but the rise in the number of attacks has led
farmers to demand the right to kill them.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland
said farmers who could prove their livestock was under threat could
apply for a licence to kill ravens, but added: "We think that provision
is adequate."

Johnny Hall, the head of rural policy for the National Farmers Union of
Scotland, said his members had been hit hardest by the resurgence of ravens.

Recently the birds had become more brazen, he said, attacking adult
livestock as well as the young.

"It's not just an issue with them taking lambs. We have substantial
evidence of them attacking adult sheep and calves too. The attacks are
so horrific that it's causing mental suffering to people who find the
animals," he told The Observer.

Farmers in west Wales have also complained that their sheep are falling
prey to the growing raven population.

"The attacks on livestock are becoming a problem, but there's not a lot
we can do about it," a spokesman for NFU Cymru told the paper.

Ravens traditionally eat carrion, but they are also highly opportunistic
and are known to prey on small mammals.