Latest news with #FFF
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Seagulls baited with food and run over across north Wales
Seagulls are being deliberately enticed into roads with food and then injured or killed by cars, according to a Foundation for Feathered Friends, (FFF) said the practice had increased over the past couple of years, with both adults and children spotted baiting the founder Denise Theophilus, 71, said the charity had received reports of food being deliberately thrown into roads in locations along the north Wales coast, including Prestatyn, Abergele and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, like all wild birds, meaning it is illegal to intentionally kill or injure them. Ms Theophilus, 71, started the group to "balance the hatred" she had seen for gulls when she moved to north Wales. They are also considered a conservation concern with the six main gull species found in the UK, particularly herring gulls, in decline."I don't want gulls thinking all humans are like this," she added. Ms Theophilus said gulls were starving at this time of year and trying to feed their chicks, so would look for food wherever they can find it."I have lost track of all the messages that come in," she said."I was told about kids throwing food for gulls in Rhyl and watching as the cars nearly hit them."Children grow up thinking gulls are winged rats and it's OK to do whatever to them." She added that a volunteer had picked up a bird in Prestatyn on Sunday after a man had thrown food out of his vehicle and it was hit by a car when it flew down to get it. Five of the charity's volunteers have small pens and aviaries at their homes where injured and sick birds can be cared for, but Ms Theophilus said some birds could not recover enough to be released back into the wild. She added that nothing was being done to enforce the law on the issue and the police were "not interested"."It's really discouraging that no-one does anything," she Wales Police has been asked to comment.
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
'Monsters' deliberately 'luring' seagulls to their deaths
A CHARITY says a sick trend has seen yobs throw food in front of cars - so seagulls get run over. Pictures show maimed birds scattered across roads after reports they had been deliberately 'lured' to their deaths. Bird lovers say they've been horrified by the brutal trend that involves food being thrown into the road as perpetrators watch on as they swoop down and get hit by unsuspecting drivers. Volunteers at the non-profit organisation Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) said there has been a rising number of incidents involving both youths and adults. A spokesperson said: "We've spotted food in the road enticing gulls to swoop in the road. " Gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. "An action like this is a deliberate attempt to make them swoop into the road and be hit by oncoming cars and has become something of a 'trend' in North Wales. "It has been witnessed in Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno to name a few areas. "Sometimes parents have been seen encouraging their children to do it. "On one occasion last year, in Rhyl, we witnessed four gulls lying in the road equidistantly with food near them. "Three were dead and we picked up one to try to help her but she did not make it. "We were also given a report of school children in their uniforms near their school, in Prestatyn, throwing food in the road for this purpose. "When we made a complaint to the school we were told they were not on school property and therefore the school were not responsible for their actions. "Youths were witnessed laughing and throwing food in the road in Llandudno. The occasions are many and its us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these. "For all we know people are doing it in different areas frequently causing injury or death to gulls that we have no idea about." FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces, after incidents. She added: 'Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? '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.' Details of the incidents left members of the local community shocked. One said: "What a sick trend. Whoever does this is a heartless waste of oxygen."
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Leader Live
'Monsters' deliberately 'luring' seagulls to their deaths
Pictures show maimed birds scattered across roads after reports they had been deliberately 'lured' to their deaths. Bird lovers say they've been horrified by the brutal trend that involves food being thrown into the road as perpetrators watch on as they swoop down and get hit by unsuspecting drivers. Volunteers at the non-profit organisation Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) said there has been a rising number of incidents involving both youths and adults. A spokesperson said: "We've spotted food in the road enticing gulls to swoop in the road. "Gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. "An action like this is a deliberate attempt to make them swoop into the road and be hit by oncoming cars and has become something of a 'trend' in North Wales. MORE NEWS "It has been witnessed in Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno to name a few areas. "Sometimes parents have been seen encouraging their children to do it. "On one occasion last year, in Rhyl, we witnessed four gulls lying in the road equidistantly with food near them. "Three were dead and we picked up one to try to help her but she did not make it. "We were also given a report of school children in their uniforms near their school, in Prestatyn, throwing food in the road for this purpose. "When we made a complaint to the school we were told they were not on school property and therefore the school were not responsible for their actions. "Youths were witnessed laughing and throwing food in the road in Llandudno. The occasions are many and its us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these. "For all we know people are doing it in different areas frequently causing injury or death to gulls that we have no idea about." FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces, after incidents. She added: 'Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? '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.' Details of the incidents left members of the local community shocked. One said: "What a sick trend. Whoever does this is a heartless waste of oxygen." Another said: "What a horrible human being. Who takes joy out of seeing birds suffer in this way."
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
'Monsters' deliberately 'luring' seagulls to their deaths
Pictures show maimed birds scattered across roads after reports they had been deliberately 'lured' to their deaths. Bird lovers say they've been horrified by the brutal trend that involves food being thrown into the road as perpetrators watch on as they swoop down and get hit by unsuspecting drivers. Volunteers at the non-profit organisation Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) said there has been a rising number of incidents involving both youths and adults. A spokesperson said: "We've spotted food in the road enticing gulls to swoop in the road. "Gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. "An action like this is a deliberate attempt to make them swoop into the road and be hit by oncoming cars and has become something of a 'trend' in North Wales. MORE NEWS "It has been witnessed in Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno to name a few areas. "Sometimes parents have been seen encouraging their children to do it. "On one occasion last year, in Rhyl, we witnessed four gulls lying in the road equidistantly with food near them. "Three were dead and we picked up one to try to help her but she did not make it. "We were also given a report of school children in their uniforms near their school, in Prestatyn, throwing food in the road for this purpose. "When we made a complaint to the school we were told they were not on school property and therefore the school were not responsible for their actions. "Youths were witnessed laughing and throwing food in the road in Llandudno. The occasions are many and its us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these. "For all we know people are doing it in different areas frequently causing injury or death to gulls that we have no idea about." FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces, after incidents. She added: 'Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? '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.' Details of the incidents left members of the local community shocked. One said: "What a sick trend. Whoever does this is a heartless waste of oxygen." Another said: "What a horrible human being. Who takes joy out of seeing birds suffer in this way."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bird lovers horrified by maimed seagull 'trend' as remains scattered across roads in North Wales
Bird lovers have been left horrified by a brutal new 'trend'. Campaigners claim they have mounting evidence people are deliberately throwing food onto roads and watching on as hungry seagulls swoop down, only 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, North Wales Live reports. FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces. '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. READ MORE: Benefit cheat mum must repay £22k after being caught out by innocuous Facebook post READ MORE: Lidl pulls popular product from shelves following urgent 'do not eat' warning '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.' According to Denise, volunteers have reported examples from Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno. Given the number of casualties being treated by North Wales Wild Bird Care, FFF's sister group, she believes it is probably happening elsewhere. In one instance, Denise claimed food had been carefully laid out on a street in Rhyl. She said three car-hit gulls were found lying dead 'equidistantly' near the food. A fourth was still alive but later died. 'One of our volunteers was driving through Llandudno when she saw a group of youths throwing food onto a road,' she said. 'They were laughing as they watched cars come towards the gulls. She wanted to go back and disperse the kids but her husband didn't want to get involved.' Wind-blown litter is another reason why gulls dice with death on busy roads – social media videos have highlighted the dangers of carelessly discarded food cartons. However there's little online evidence of gratuitous clips showing gulls being deliberately enticed onto roads. Denise claimed the practice has been witnessed outside schools and in retail car parks. When images were shared online, bird lovers were left 'sickened' by the claims. One person called the practice 'shameful and inhuman', another said it was 'utterly disgraceful'. A man claimed some motorists deliberately target gulls. He said: 'I've seen a few birds, mainly gulls, laying in the road that have been run over on purpose." Herring gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. The RSPCA said people need to be careful when disposing of edible litter. A spokesperson said: 'Gulls can get a bad rap especially in seaside towns, and sadly are thought of by some as a pest. 'However, they are simply wild animals trying to survive in their surroundings, and deserve our kindness and respect. It's important for people to remember that they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and it is illegal to intentionally harm any wild bird, except under licence.' The RSPCA gives the following advice on living in harmony with gulls: In some seaside towns where people have fed gulls, they have learned to snatch food. Try to keep food to yourself but don't blame them if they can't tell the difference between scraps willingly offered and your bag of chips. Dispose of edible litter carefully – put it in gull-proof litter bins. Plastic bags left in the street are an open invitation for gulls to investigate. Gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are usually trying to protect chicks that have got out of the nest. If you see a gull chick leave it alone – its parents can look after it better than you. Gulls make the most noise between May and July when they are breeding. If gulls on your roof disturb you, or you are worried they may block a gas flue, you can prevent them from nesting there in future. Your local environmental health department or pest control company should be able to tell you about the devices available. It's illegal to disturb wild birds' nests and eggs, except under licence.
