New Mexico: U.S. orders helicopter shooters to kill feral cows

The objective is to protect the natural area from damage caused by cattle. In addition, they have shown aggressive behavior toward people.

Published by

Alejandro Baños

February 18, 2023

2 minutes read

Topics:

The U.S. Forest Service and the Gila National Forest authorized a plan to kill feral cows in New Mexico to protect the wilderness.

This decision was made after observing that they are behaving aggressively toward people and are damaging forests and rivers at a time when the dry season in the west of the territory is approaching. In addition, they have damaged fences protecting plots of private land with their hooves, causing predators to invade them and kill the ranchers' cattle.

The section of the Gila Natural Forest where the plan will be carried out, which covers a perimeter of about 160 square miles, will be closed to the public beginning next Monday. A helicopter with sharpshooters will fly over the area to locate the cattle and shoot them. Forest supervisor Camille Howes believes this is necessary:

Feral cattle in the Gila Natural Park have been aggressive with visitors, grazing year-round and trampling the banks of streams and springs, causing erosion and sedimentation.

As a precedent, last year the Department of Agriculture contracted a company to carry out the same measure. Environmentalists like Todd Schulke, co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity, sided with the Forest Service:

We can expect immediate results: clean water, a healthy river, and restored wildlife habitat.

Attacks on the Forest Service

Other lobbying groups criticized the Forest Service and the Gila Natural Forest for breaking their own rules. Tom Paterson, president of the New Mexico Cattlemen's Association, said:

Ease is no exception to its own rules. Frustration is not an exception to the rules. Our society should be better than this. We can be more creative and do it in a better way that does not waste an economic resource.

In addition, critics claimed that the decision violates federal regulations and questioned what will happen to the carcasses. Regarding this last argument, they consider that there is a level of concern among livestock farmers since predators and scavengers could cause them trouble.

Found a mistake? Contact us!