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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

For feeling sorry for a seagull ?

28 replies

SwissMonsterRavingCheesyParty · 06/05/2010 10:55

Poor thing has a broken wing and is walking round looking petrified.

Will animal shelters do anything ?

Put it out of its misery even, can't see it lasting long tbh, tho despite the broken wing looks perfectly ok.

OP posts:
ClaireDeLoon · 06/05/2010 11:01

Ring your local RSPCA see what they suggest, they should have a wildlife officer who can help it.

poor thing

emsyj · 06/05/2010 11:02

I would think if they can catch it then they will help so yes ring RSPCA. We called them out for a very injured (but still alive) hedgehog a few weeks back and they were great. They do cover wildlife, not just domestic animals.

KurrisSeatisNotMarginal · 06/05/2010 11:07

As far as I know, vets are obliged to treat wild animals, so if you've one nearby I would take it in. (can you catch it?)

ABatInBunkFive · 06/05/2010 11:10

Don't they see seagulls as vermin though, i wouldn't class one the same as a hedgehog.

YANBU to feel sorry for it but i'll be surprised if anyone will do anything.

ClaireDeLoon · 06/05/2010 11:15

I don't think they treat seagulls as vermin no. There are rules about certain animals, for example grey squirrel, that are classed as vermin that aren't allowed to be released back into the wild and must be put to sleep but I've never heard of seagulls being classed as such.

Surely anyway it would depend what type of gull they are? Not all are common, some are on the RSPB red list for the UK?

Regardless it is better to try to get the RSPCA to do something than to just let it suffer.

CwtchyBlueMama · 06/05/2010 11:15

I think the RSPCA will come out for it cos i watched animal rescue a few weeks ago & there was an injured seagull on that.

slinks away at confession of watching rubbish daytime tv

ABatInBunkFive · 06/05/2010 11:17

I really think that depends where you live, they are deffo classed as vermin round here, they remove the eggs from the nests and everything to keep the population down.

OrmRenewed · 06/05/2010 11:17

Try RSPCA.

I like seagulls - brassy gutsy common-as-muck and very beautiful when you look at them properly. I also like their noise.

Downed birds are always a sad sight. But be careful if you try to catch it. Beaks like razors.

ABatInBunkFive · 06/05/2010 11:18

They're not so great when they're swooping at you for doing nothing other than walking down the street

ClaireDeLoon · 06/05/2010 11:23

I like seagulls too Orm, I love their cheekiness. Love crows for the same reason.

I just checked on the RSPB website and it's actually the Herring Gull they've assigned red status to which surprised me, with all the rest of the UK gulls being amber.

MitchyInge · 06/05/2010 11:25

What sort of seagull is it?

GetOrfMoiLand · 06/05/2010 11:30

I took a young seagull to the vets once. It was nesting on my mum's roof and it had fallen off, and was walking round her backl garden with a broken wing looking pathetic.

Got one of my mum's old jumpers and went out in the garden and grabbed it (cue shrieks from both me and the bird) and took it up the vets about 5 minutes walk away. The vet was quite happy to look at it.

This was in ILfracombe where seagulls are indeed classed as vermin (you should see blacn bags of rubbish after they attack them, they are worse than foxes) and there are posters all over the place saying 'don't feed the seagulls' because they swoop down in a Hitchcock manner and thieve your chips. I personally can't stand them either, but you can't just leave something to walk around in pain. So yes take it to the vet, they will know what to do with it.

bubblerock · 06/05/2010 11:32

I think they are beautiful too! Although the babies are pretty stupid and always fall out of their nests up here and wander around the pavements squawking or go into shops lol Hope you manage to catch it - try an old towel and wrap it tightly so it doesn't try to flap.

5Foot5 · 06/05/2010 13:31

I dislike seagulls too and can see why they are classed as vermin in many areas. But I agree that it would be a shame to leave it to suffer like this.

Mind you I would be more inclined to ask the RSPCA to deal with it than try to take it to a vet myself. Nasty, vicious beaks - I wouldn't voluntarily go near one.

Will never forget the aggressive herring gull that snatched a biscuit from DDs fingers when she was less than 2.

Fluffyone · 06/05/2010 13:55

Is there a bird sanctuary type place near you? Maybe ring your local vet or Google to find out. I know everyone thinks RSPCA are the first port of call when animals are in trouble, but they aren't the most effective organisation and they are often more likely to put the animal to sleep than a specialist rescue.

ClaireDeLoon · 06/05/2010 15:18

Did you ring anyone?

waitingforbedtime · 06/05/2010 15:26

I called SSPCA once for a seagull - they were very good.

SwissMonsterRavingCheesyParty · 06/05/2010 16:06

Havent bloody seen it since, poor things probably found somewhere safe to hide. Hav boorowed a dog cage and am going to look for it later, it'll probably come out when its a bit darker an it feels safe.

I don't mind seagulls as it goes, they crap everywhere but I like to see them as the chavs of the bird world

OP posts:
OrmRenewed · 06/05/2010 16:07

Ha! Chaves, yes. Do you think they'd have England flags hanging out of their nests ?

piratecat · 06/05/2010 16:09

no yanbu

i hate seeing things in distress. Seagulls are very lovely looking, always amazes me how large they are!!

Tiredmumno1 · 06/05/2010 16:11

Ello swiss, this happened to me a while back with a magpie he worse in a bad way. i called i local vets they told me to take the bird to them, so i did

SwissMonsterRavingCheesyParty · 06/05/2010 16:13

Except for the wing it looked in very good condition, the look of absolute fear in its eye got to me tho.

Am borrowing my friends dps huge fishing net to catch it, so if you see a strange ranger marching round with a torch and a fishing net tonight it's me

OP posts:
SwissMonsterRavingCheesyParty · 06/05/2010 16:14

Hello tiredmummy

OP posts:
GetOutOfMoiWayTories · 06/05/2010 16:14

Lol at bird chavs.

yes, you see them all perched looking moodily around them like a bunch of youths at a bus shelter.

Tiredmumno1 · 06/05/2010 16:14

he was worse - sorry