Psycho seagulls launched ‘coordinated’ assault on children at an Easter egg hunt
The public have been warned to be vigilant after lunatic birds were seen swooping and striking at families at the event in a city centre and cops ‘expect injuries’
Seagulls are seen as a menace all over Scotland(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
People have been warned to be vigilant after seagulls launched a “coordinated” attack – at an Easter egg hunt. The birds were seen swooping and striking at families at the event in a city centre, Inverness Business Improvement District (BID) say.
During the Great Easter Egg hunt, BID ambassador Janice Worthing said her team witnessed 16 gull-related incidents. She said the gulls reportedly used “coordinating behaviour” to strike at kids.
She added: “This included frequent and coordinated behaviour from adult gulls, watching for opportunities, calling others in, and repeatedly swooping at and, in some cases, striking members of the public, including young children.”
As gull breeding season has begun, she added: “We expect conflict and, in some cases, injuries. Gulls are really quick and can strike suddenly and decisively.”
Highland Council have now launched a new reporting tool, where members of the public can report encounters with seagulls and give a date, location and description of the incidents. The information collected will be gathered “to help support future gull management programmes.”
They highlighted that under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to capture, injure or destroy any wild bird, or to damage or disturb their nests or eggs.
A council spokesperson told STV: “”The data collected will help determine whether patterns or hotspots exist, and whether certain impacts are more prevalent, such as aggressive gull behaviour related to chick protection or behaviours associated with food scavenging.
“As different behaviours require different mitigation approaches, meaningful and reliable data will support a targeted and proportionate approach to advising on appropriate mitigation measures to reduce negative interactions between gulls and people.”
