A baby seagull has died after allegedly being kicked in a popular seaside town.
The alleged incident has sparked pleas from a concerned local for tourists to stop harassing the birds and treat wildlife with kindness.
Mel Greenhalgh, the founder of Brambles Wildlife Centre in the village of Ribchester, Lancashire, recently posted on the company’s Facebook page about a young seagull that had been brought in.
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His injuries appeared to be associated with blunt force trauma and someone suggested the gull had been kicked by a human, as reported by Need To Know.
Mel named the baby bird, who was brought in on Saturday (12 July), Soldier and hoped he would make it through the night.
In one post, on Sunday (13 July) morning, Mel wrote: “For those who wanted an update on Soldier – he has made it through the night, there is no improvement in condition yet, he remains critical and is fighting for his life.
“With so few rescues helping gulls, he came to Brambles 25 miles away for help.
“We are one of only three rescues in Lancashire actively helping baby gulls.
“Despite us being already full, we made room for him as his only other option would have been euthanasia with the other rescue at Lancaster that helps gulls also being full.”
She asked for donations from anyone who would like to contribute to Soldier’s care and he was given subcutaneous fluids to help his organs fight and counteract dehydration.
Sadly, he didn’t make it.
In a post, Mel said: “With utterly broken hearts, we can tell you that Soldier has just passed away despite our very best efforts.
“It’s really important we find out who did this to him on Kirby Road, Blackpool yesterday (12 July).
“Please share and if you have any information please come forward.”
Mel says these kinds of attacks are on the rise.
While seagulls may often be seen as a nuisance by beachgoers, they are still protected wild animals deserving of compassion and respect, she said.
Experts and rescue volunteers like Mel are calling on both authorities and the public to treat these birds with empathy – especially during fledgling season when young gulls are most vulnerable.
Mel and the team at Brambles are now urging communities to speak up when they witness abuse and to support local wildlife rescues doing their best to protect the voiceless.
Mel said that Soldier’s death had been reported to the police.
Jam Press has approached Lancashire Police for comment about the incident.
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