A federal judge in the US has ruled that helicopters will be used to shoot dozens of feral cattle in the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico, due to their aggressive behavior and the threat they pose to public safety.
Aerial shooters will spend four days removing approximately 150 cows using lethal methods, and their carcasses will be left on-site to decompose naturally.
The Gila National Forest Service made the difficult decision to cull the cattle as they have been aggressive towards visitors and have caused environmental damage by grazing year-round and trampling stream banks and springs, causing erosion and sedimentation.
Despite complaints from the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, individual ranchers, and the Humane Farming Association, the culling operation will proceed as planned.
The federal judge has cleared the way for the operation, stating that it is necessary to protect public safety, threatened and endangered species habitats, water quality, and the natural character of the Gila Wilderness.
»US federal judge approves killing 150 “aggressive” cows in Gila Wilderness, New Mexico«