You may have heard a story earlier this year about a little dog called Gizmo who was taken away by a seagull. Many experts suggested that seagulls will have eaten the dog and sadly his body was never recovered. As Gizmo was a chihuahua it’s easy to see how a seagull might mistake him for prey, however seagulls also have a history of attacking human beings.
This story was then followed by another woman, Emily from Cornwall, claiming her child had been attacked by seagulls in her own garden. This came just two weeks after they apparently had savaged their pet Yorkshire Terrier, Roo. Unfortunately this is not the first time, nor the last, that seagulls have been known to attack humans. A seagull attacked a toddler and stole her food in County Durham, and a 77 year old man in Great Yarmouth has been attacked 3 times! But what exactly makes Seagulls so dangerous, and so likely to attack?
Seagulls, or gulls, are a common bird to see around the UK, especially at the seaside. There are 6 different species in the UK, some of which have a wingspan of around 140cm! This seems crazy when you compare this to the average height of a UK man at 175.3cm. The sheer size of these birds makes them even more dangerous. In addition, some species can weigh a couple kilograms and move at speeds of up to 35mph - if a gull collides with you during flight it will leave a little more than just a bruise.
The speed at which they can travel also makes them difficult to spot before an attack. Seagulls travel roughly 15 metres per second mid-flight, and most have a tendency to dive on their prey. Their streamline bodies mean that when diving they move even faster. This is often a problem for regular beach-goers that enjoy the traditional fish & chips, as seagulls are keen thieves and know where to find easy food.
Not many species of birds tend to go near or interact with humans, however seagulls have gradually learnt that we are a source of easy food. This is because many people enjoy feeding birds and watching them peck around on the ground, getting a first-hand look at wildlife. Unfortunately because of this seagulls have lost their fear of humans, and this is what makes them most dangerous. For example, deer are commonly found throughout the UK, and are large enough to cause immense damage to humans if they needed or wanted to. However, due to their natural fear of humans, they tend to keep their distance. Deer live in rural areas with limited human activity. This means they have little to no contact with human beings, and as a result humans have not been able to bond with deer as a species, or show kindness / provide food. In the past humans have also hunted deer for food, and so deer have evolved to see us as their natural predators. The opposite has happened with seagulls as they flock to high-density tourist areas like beaches, and are gradually moving in to more and more urban regions. Seagulls haven’t been regularly hunted by humans for food either, and so they wouldn’t view us as predators. People have shown the seagulls kindness by providing them with food, and so they have lost their fear and as a result don’t mind being close to humans.
If you have a high population of seagulls in your area and are concerned for the safety of your family, pets, business, or customers, there are various ways you can keep the birds away. Here at Accurate Pest Control Management we can provide proofing methods to suit any kind of property, so contact us now to book a top-to-bottom property survey
