Maimed seagulls strewn across N.Wales roads as brutal 'trend' emerges

Bird guardians claim gulls are being deliberately lured to their deaths

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

BIRD lovers have been left horrified by a brutal new “trend” highlighted by a charity in North Wales.

Campaigners claim they have mounting evidence people are throwing food onto roads and watching on as hungry seagulls swoop down to get hit by vehicles.

Volunteers working for the Caernarfon-based Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) are reporting a rising number of apparent incidents on the North Wales coast. While some are said to involve youths, the charity claimed adults have also been seen enticing gulls onto busy roads.

FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the casualties. “We totally support the feeding of wild birds, especially gulls,’ she said. “Often they are emaciated when they arrive in coastal communities. But this is not the right way to do it.

“Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? We are aware that children will get up to all kinds of mischief - but adults doing this must have some kind of psychiatric issue.

“It's definitely a trend, we're seeing more and more instances of it happening. And it's us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these.”