2020 has been chock full of on-the-nose omens and apocalyptic visions. The Pentagon released videos of UFOs and we all forgot about it. Murder hornets made their way to the U.S. as California burned. And there’s that little matter of a global deadly pandemic. So, for the residents of Marietta, Pennsylvania, what’s one more?
At least this latest ominous development will be somewhat familiar to fans of Tippi Hedren. The small town has been invaded by massive vultures. The roofs of the town are covered in hundreds of the birds, who tear at the structures and cause thousands of dollars in property damage.
“This is the worst year,” resident John Enterline told Lancaster Online. “There are many more of them.”
He said the vultures' leavings have turned many of the trees in the area entirely white and several citizens have had their roofs damaged by the large birds. The roofs make ideal places to rest for the birds, as the heat of the homes and the warmth retained by black shingles help the birds deal with dropping temps.
“They are attracted to these roofs, especially during this time of year...attracted to the warmth of artificial structures, especially black covered roofs,” Millersville University biologist Aaron Haines told the paper.
There's very little residents of the town can do to fix the problem. Black vultures are a protected species and can only be exterminated with a special permit. Residents have taken to banging pots and pans and setting off firecrackers to scare the large scavengers away.
