Should Gulls be Culled?

[bright rabbit 1]

Should Gulls be Culled?

On the news today here in the U.K a Seagull snatched  a chihuahua from a garden and took it away.

Let’s face it Gulls are a menace to the society, they take food from people, Attack them or snatch small animals.

Do you think they should be culled.

[PrincessTalTal]

did it really!? I didn't even think seagulls had grabby-enough feet to carry off a poor little dog!

The poor little chihuahua

[BlackCurtains]

Wow, never heard of a seagull taking a dog before.

Humans are the ones who encroach upon other species... so no, I don't think any animal should be culled like that. Unless it's invasive maybe (are they where you are?).

I mean, I live in a place where dangerous animals kill pets and people all the time, and everyone just veiws it as one of the hazards of living here. Sure, if an alligator is roaming a neighborhood they remove them but they only kill them if they're over a certain size. And it's only because when they reach maturity they have a homing instinct and relocated gators just end up coming back to where they were. When they're small/young enough they are just taken somewhere wild and released.

A few years ago our neighbor's little yorkie disappeared. We all kinda figured it was either a bobcat or a bird of some kind. It was sad of course and I wouldn't want it to happen to another pet, but all the other animal saw was an easy meal and I can't blame them for that.

[Shaz]

Oh yes that makes perfect sense *sarcasm*. Humans have made gulls a nuisance by feeding them and discarding food in the streets that encourages them to hang around urban areas, so let's blame the gulls and kill them, that'll solve the problem /sarcasm.

I know sometimes various species have to be culled because their numbers affect other species, and I accept that, but I think with seagulls it's a knee-jerk reaction because they're not 'cute' and they're a nuisance. I find a lot of people a nuisance but sadly it doesn't give me the right to cull them. There are plenty of other solutions that could be implemented before a cull is needed: humans tidying up their rubbish and refraining from throwing chips at seagulls would probably be a good start. I think I've read somewhere that it's possible to encourage gulls to different nesting sites? The stolen dog is an isolated incident, and hardly part of a widespread phenomenon.

Sorry to be so vehement, and of course I'm not directing my ire at any specific person; it's just that the cavalier behaviour of humans where animals are concerned always makes my blood boil! Surely there are ways for humans and animals to co-exist.

We don't live by the sea, but we get gulls in summer anyway. They have been known to steal cat-food. Solution: feed the cats indoors = immediate reduction of seagulls in the garden. I was once asked if I was worried about seagulls carrying off my cat. Seriously?! Garfy is quite frankly a chubster cat, you'd need four seagulls and some sort of net to carry him off .

[Aflame]

no I don't think they should be culled as much  I don't really like them  its so rare I don't think it warrants it plus when the dog is the size of a rat there are lots of things that could take them not just gulls and birds of pray ,foxes and badgers could to or worse dog fighting rings will dog nap small dogs to use as bait dogs

[bright rabbit 1]

Here’s the news about the dog

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9561614/chihuahua-swallowed-whole-seagull-expert/

[banditpony]

Eh?

is that even being something suggested by any authority? Because that's sounds like a pretty nonsense thing to suggest over one dog.

Also, I find it more disturbing that the person was harassed by trolls after posting on social media.

[bright rabbit 1]

Plus they’ve (the Gulls) have attacked little children, plus a woman got attacked sitting in her car. They tried to take another small dog but the owner saved their dog. They steal food out of people’s mouths plus damage someone’s mouth. Plus they kill rabbits and one killed a fox cub.

And a weird one stealing false teeth from a old person.


I tell you one thing if a gull tried to steal my do, I’ll stab it with a pointed thing.

[PrincessTalTal]

Oh if anything, seagull or otherwise, came for my rabbit I'd definitely go HAM with every pointed thing in existence! But culling anything just doesn't right with the animal lover in me... maybe just that one seagull needs a stern pointing rather than the species as a whole.

two things to note though that affect my bias here: my rabbit is way to big to be carried off by anything, and i live right near a beach and am never bothered by seagulls at all. magpies own my suburb and no one dares challenge them!

[bright rabbit 1]

Magpies are cute, did have a few here but something frightened them off.

[Lady Frostbite]

Seagulls are a dangerous nuicense here; not only are they massive, they are vicious and pushy. They are part urban, part sea, and the more inland the gulls, the more violent they seem to be. Buildings in the city have them nesting on the roof and customers can be attacked and swooped by parents when they stray near fledglings taking their shopping to the car!

I adore birds, I even have a soft spot for pigeons despite their disease-carrying ways, but pigeons don't outright attack people and knock food out of your hands. I despise seagulls with a passion, they absolutely should be culled as pigeons were culled a while ago with dummy eggs and trapping.

Edit: This isn't a hysterical reaction over one dog; culling gulls has been brought up multiple times, and MANY seaside resorts have notices telling people not to feed them and warning about how dangerous they can get. All birds in the UK are protected either by the Countryside Wildlife Act 1981 or a similar act (In Scotland, it's a different act). You have to have a special license to cull vermin birds like pigeons and gulls. I fully support a gull cull.

[Lollipop]

I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE Seagulls..... they are nasty ********  Had one bite my finger & sandwich once literally sandwich was in my mouth i wasn't waving it around in my hand or left it on the table.

Can not stand them they are vicious nasty scavenger creatures. Something needs to be done about them tbh there are too many (watch Hitchcocks 'Birds' that will freak you out enough to want them sorted  ) Don't know about Culling but something HAS to be done about them.... there are way too many. Even if you put things in the bins with lids down etc they will still try get it.

Pigeons are everywhere too but they are not nasty********** are they!! They might beg at your feet but they will not harm you and bite ur fingers off to get what you have. They will not hurt children or take small dogs.

Sorry but I really really really HATEEEEEEEEEEEE Seagulls (I live like 30mins from the sea too, love Brighton but the seagulls bloody ruin it every time!.... and now the buggers are coming in land to the school play grounds and keeping me up until 3am with their squawking)

Yes society needs to do their bit and not leave there rubbish on the ground (which tbh it's better now than it was years ago).... .... but trust me that WILL NOT stop Seagulls .... as I said they will go for it straight out of your hand, wouldn't surprise me if they start attacking a full size human in groups eventually. They are lazy buggers who cba to fish anymore (trust me there are plenty of fish for them in the sea in Brighton)

Something NEEDS to be done about them. Maybe there is another way than culling though...

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

What the hell, no? Yikes @ this thread.

[Lollipop]

Think with this Thread if you do not live in the UK you just are not going to understand the problem 

Trust me it is a SERIOUS problem here in the UK. (not just the Seaside either... as I said in my post they have come in land too).

They often attack Children.... seen way too many attack a poor kid in Brighton who is just trying to enjoy their ice cream.

They are vicious creatures who don't give a crap..... Only birds who do this in the UK too.... Pigeons (who we probably have more of then seagulls) do not!

[Lady Frostbite]

I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE Seagulls..... they are nasty ********  Had one bite my finger & sandwich once literally sandwich was in my mouth i wasn't waving it around in my hand or left it on the table.

Can not stand them they are vicious nasty scavenger creatures. Something needs to be done about them tbh there are too many (watch Hitchcocks 'Birds' that will freak you out enough to want them sorted  ) Don't know about Culling but something HAS to be done about them.... there are way too many. Even if you put things in the bins with lids down etc they will still try get it.

Pigeons are everywhere too but they are not nasty********** are they!! They might beg at your feet but they will not harm you and bite ur fingers off to get what you have. They will not hurt children or take small dogs.

Sorry but I really really really HATEEEEEEEEEEEE Seagulls (I live like 30mins from the sea too, love Brighton but the seagulls bloody ruin it every time!.... and now the buggers are coming in land to the school play grounds and keeping me up until 3am with their squawking)

Yes society needs to do their bit and not leave there rubbish on the ground (which tbh it's better now than it was years ago).... .... but trust me that WILL NOT stop Seagulls .... as I said they will go for it straight out of your hand, wouldn't surprise me if they start attacking a full size human in groups eventually. They are lazy buggers who cba to fish anymore (trust me there are plenty of fish for them in the sea in Brighton)

Something NEEDS to be done about them. Maybe there is another way than culling though...

If we cannot cull, then perhaps do what I've seen happen with pigeons in I THINK London? It was a 'pigeon hotel' set up for breeding pigeons. A person would go inside and remove eggs from the nests, replace them with dummy eggs, which the parents would still care for and leave when they wouldn't have as they are assumed as either dead or infertile. This is used for problem layers for domestic parrots as well; cockatiels in particular are problem layers and simply taking the eggs encourages the bird to lay another to replace the lost egg and could result in the death of the female if she uses up the calcium in her bones to make eggs or even become eggbound.

I'm glad you understand, I've lived in seaside towns most of my life and in the city they are a vicious nuicense. When I went abroad to a city that was nowhere near the sea, it was so relaxing and peaceful to have absolutely no seagulls! (just pigeons that were skittish and starlings/sparrows!)

EDIT:

Think with this Thread if you do not live in the UK you just are not going to understand the problem 

Trust me it is a SERIOUS problem here in the UK. (not just the Seaside either... as I said in my post they have come in land too).

They often attack Children.... seen way too many attack a poor kid in Brighton who is just trying to enjoy their ice cream.

They are vicious creatures who don't give a crap..... Only birds who do this in the UK too.... Pigeons (who we probably have more of then seagulls) do not!

THIS!!!!