Woman terrified after seeing vultures circling her house – so what’s happening?

A WOMAN was left terrified after spotting a flock of vultures circling her parents’ house – as perplexed onlookers wonder what’s happening.

She shared a picture of the scavenger birds flying directly above the property in New Jersey to Reddit thread r/OddlyTerrifying.

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The woman – who goes by username Perublanket39 – wrote in the caption: “Vultures keep circling this house in my neighbourhood. Should we call someone?”

Commenters were quick to suggest sinister reasons why the birds – which feast on the flesh of dead animals – were hovering overhead.

Some urged the woman to carry out a welfare check on the occupants.

But she quickly confirmed that the house belonged to her parents who are both ok.

The woman said her family are not alone in being targeted – with the birds flying over up to ten houses in the neighbourhood.

Other Reddit users were quick to clear up what the vultures mean.

One wrote: “Is it a gas leak? The unique smell is additive that attracts scavenger birds to leaks.

“This helps technicians identify where a leak originates.”

Turkey vultures used to be commonly used by natural gas companies to locate gas pipeline leaks.

Ethyl mercaptan – a chemical added to gas so people can smell it – is also emitted by animal carcasses, making the birds highly attuned to it.