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Why Everglades Is Handing Out Anti-Vulture Kits To Visitors

Next time you go to the Everglades you'll have the option to pick up an anti-vulture kit.

The Park is offering the kits so people can arm their cars against vultures during the winter months. The black vultures sometimes rip the rubber and vinyl parts off of cars such as windshield wipers and sunroof seals.

Curtis Morgan reports on the environment for the Miami Herald. He says over the last five years the park has tried several tactics to get the birds to stop.

"So they decided to instead change the behavior of people and they're giving out these bungee cords and a simple, blue tarp you can wrap your car in as anti-vulture kits and they're just basically in these plastic bins at the parking lot areas", said Morgan.

The loaner tarps were distributed at Anhinga Trail last year and expanded to Flamingo this winter. The park's superintendent says the number of complaints has dropped since the park started offering the kits.

The park's vulture problems may be odd but they're not unique. Vultures have caused similar problems in several other states. Although scientists have studied the issue, they still cannot say for sure why the birds rip the rubber off vehicles.