Woman Eaten by Vultures After Falling From Cliff in France

A middle-aged woman was tragically eaten by vultures after falling 1,000 feet to her death in France’s Pyrenees mountains, reports the Epoch Times.

The 52-year-old woman, who was unidentified, was hiking on the Pic de la Pista with friends in April when she fell. Officials determined that she died during the fall, and that she was not eaten alive.

“When we first went out in the helicopter looking for the body, we saw numerous vultures without realizing what they were doing,” Major Didier Pericou told The Times of London. “There were only bones, clothes and shoes left on the ground. They took 45 to 50 minutes to eat the body.”

News of the vulture attack fueled a campaign against Griffon Vultures in France. Farmers have appealed to authorities to be allowed to shoot the birds, a protected species, and say that the ban has led to a population growth that threatens their livestock. Farmers have reported that the scavengers-turned-predators are carrying off live animals.

“You can’t imagine what it is like to see an animal eaten alive,” Farmer Alain Larraide said.

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