Vultures invade Leesburg, Va.
Vultures infest Leesburg, Va. every few years, puzzling residents and law enforcement officials.
Like a scene out of a scary movie, hundreds of vultures can be seen swarming over a quiet neighborhood.
Leesburg Police Department Lt. Jeff Dube said, "We don't know why they're here. There's really no rhyme or reason."
Dube says it happens every few years. This year, large vultures are moving into the northeast side of Leesburg,
"Every two to three years, they really come back and concentrate in larger groups," Dube added.
It's not just a nuisance; it's a hazard.
Vultures are known to damage chimneys and windshield wipers. Their droppings can ruin car paint and rooftops. And then there's the smell.
Nona Hayward of Leesburg explained, "I guess you would consider it just like, this, ammonia smell."
Seven years ago, vultures moved into Hayward's back yard. It's part of the reason she had to cut down almost a dozen trees.
"They're just kind of nasty looking,"she added.
Vultures are a protected species. Only federal agents can get rid of them.
All Hayward and her neighbors can do is wait until U.S. officials remove them
Hayward continued, "It's just the way it is."
But just a block away, some neighbors say it's not so bad.
Huyen MacMichael of Leesburg said, "They haven't done anything. They just kind of look ominous."
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