Perceptions of Vultures by the Indians and Early Texans

Authors

Stanley D. Casto, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Publication Date

1-1-1988

Abstract

The native Indians of Texas regarded vultures as useful creatures which they incorporated into their myths and folklore. Early Texans perceived vultures as serving a beneficial role in the removal of refuse and carrion from both the cities and the countryside. A change in attitude occurred in the early l 900's when stockraisers lobbied against protection for vultures because of their alleged transmission of anthrax. Vultures are today protected by state law and they are no longer persecuted as carriers of disease. However, progress in sanitation and garbage disposal has greatly altered their historical function and the way in which they are perceived by humans.

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Recommended Citation

Casto, Stanley D. (1988) "Perceptions of Vultures by the Indians and Early Texans," Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/tos_bulletin/vol21/iss1/3