They mock you don't they? Damn birds. I had one fly down and drink from the bird bath in the back yard while I was breasting the five we shot.Went out this morning saw nada. Sitting on the porch at camp with a cup of coffee...
A neighbor posted this on our neighborhood FB page:
A heads up for you that have livestock on the lane. Last night something attacked our adult alpacas causing serious injury to 2 of them. The attack is not characteristic of coyotes as they rarely attack adults, definitely not in our barn, and not several alpacas at once. Have any of you aware of anything bigger than a coyote in our area?
Fairly rural area with the city starting to encroach in on us.Not sure. How were the alpacas housed? Was this in a rural area?
Sounds like yotes or feral dogs.
They were inside the barn but the door still open, right? IMO that was probably some dogs that are going rogue at night when their owners aren't available.Fairly rural area with the city starting to encroach in on us.
I can get to 3 Krogers and a Walmart in 5 minutes.
We have plenty of coyotes out here but they've never done anything like this before.
Another neighbor has sheep and others have a pony and horses that have never been bothered.
The alpacas were attacked inside the barn which is 150' from their house. The barn is in a fenced in area and the alpacas come in for shelter, not inside a stall.
Was it attacking just for the sport of it?
I'm surprised they didn't put up trail cams too after the first attack. Another neighbor offered theirs. I checked our cameras for noises and never heard anything alarming.I'd put up some trail cams. But my bet right now is roaming dogs.
The barn has a run in area that the alpacas feed and sleep in. They don't lock them in the stalls.They were inside the barn but the door still open, right? IMO that was probably some dogs that are going rogue at night when their owners aren't available.
Horses will kill coyotes. Then again, I've seen a horse kill a goat and sometimes they will even kill a pony or another horse...
Put up some trail cams AND set a trap. Put one of the Alpacas in a stall that had strong wire mesh to keep the predators out and fix it so the predator either gets caught in a trap or simply can't get out of the barn once it goes in. The trap, or a snare, would be the easiest method. Once captured, I would report to the dog's owner that it sadly succumbed to high velocity traumatic lead poisoning. Or just not report to the dog's owner and let it happen...I'd put up some trail cams. But my bet right now is roaming dogs.
Fox wouldn't do this and they don't typically hunt in packs. They are so small that it would take several working together to down a grown alpaca.I suppose a fox could cause some trouble but I can't see even two or three of them being able to take down a fully grown alpaca.
They moved the alpacas off the property so it definitely won't happen there again. We don't have any outdoor animals. You may recall the neighbors across the street have horses and a pony. During the summer they leave them out at night to graze and put them in the stall in the hot daytime. She's going to switch that now for fear it/they will come after the pony.Put up some trail cams AND set a trap. Put one of the Alpacas in a stall that had strong wire mesh to keep the predators out and fix it so the predator either gets caught in a trap or simply can't get out of the barn once it goes in. The trap, or a snare, would be the easiest method. Once captured, I would report to the dog's owner that it sadly succumbed to high velocity traumatic lead poisoning. Or just not report to the dog's owner and let it happen...
No, but C.H.U.D.'s would...They moved the alpacas off the property so it definitely won't happen there again. We don't have any outdoor animals. You may recall the neighbors across the street have horses and a pony. During the summer they leave them out at night to graze and put them in the stall in the hot daytime. She's going to switch that now for fear it/they will come after the pony.
Would a pack of dogs attack just for the sport of it?
Yep. Esp if they are well fed. No need to actually eat what they kill. But in a pack they follow the leader. If its a mean one, they will follow his lead.They moved the alpacas off the property so it definitely won't happen there again. We don't have any outdoor animals. You may recall the neighbors across the street have horses and a pony. During the summer they leave them out at night to graze and put them in the stall in the hot daytime. She's going to switch that now for fear it/they will come after the pony.
Would a pack of dogs attack just for the sport of it?
Thusfar Ive avoided suggesting its a chupacabra or a wampas cat. But we might need to explore that option.No, but C.H.U.D.'s would...