Call 911 Road Kill

Call 911, there is road kill! This is a frequent occurrence here in the Texas Hill Country. Speed limits even on the two lane roads frequently are 70mph, and when a deer or small animal attempts to cross the road, there can be a sad end for the animal. Today we were driving into the Hill Country to the west of Kerrville, visiting in the Hunt area. The drive is beautiful following the Guadalupe River as it twists and winds through the hills. We spotted a young deer that had been recently killed, and what made it so different was the 12 to 15 vultures waiting alongside for lunch. We had another run in with a vulture when traveling from Texas to Albuquerque, where not all the vultures got away quickly enough, and one landed on our front window and smashed it. How he managed to stay outside the vehicle was a mystery, but he severely damaged the window, and it had to be replaced. With that experience in the back of my mind, I drove quite carefully by the deer and his lunch party of vultures. They barely even looked up and certainly did not take to the air. Down the road, less than a mile later was another animal, this time a raccoon, and he was being lunch for another group of 8 to 10 vultures.

It was as though the vultures had a direct line to 911, had heard the call, and decided to check out the poor animal for their next meal. I guess this is nature's way of cleaning up the environment, but it did seem quite bloodthirsty. I never expected to see so many of these birds in one place, but when 911 calls, frequently you get multiple responses. How do these birds communicate???? Happy travels, but watch out for and try not to kill innocent critters trying to cross the road.