A small town in North Carolina is installing a cannon to get rid of vultures

A small town in North Carolina is planning to install a propane cannon on top of a high school in order to combat vultures that have been gathering in the area.

Bunn, which is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Raleigh, announced that it would be temporarily installing a cannon on the roof of its high school gymnasium on December 22 and leave it in place until January 3. The town, with a population of around 350 people, told CNN it planned the installation of the cannon for when kids were out of school on winter break.

Bunn says it will program the cannon to fire in the morning, afternoon and evening when vultures are likely to be roosting.

The cannon produces 130 decibels of sound similar to a shotgun, the town said.

Black and turkey vultures are federally protected migratory birds and a permit is required to legally “take” them, the US Fish and Wildlife Service says. However, a permit is not required to “harass or otherwise disperse or discourage vultures from using areas.”

Vultures can cause agricultural and property damage and bring health and safety concerns, according to the US Department of Agriculture.