What would you have done?
Discussion
We were in Cromer yesterday (seemingly with half of Norfolk). We bought some fish and chips, as you do at the seaside, and sat on a park bench to eat them. We noticed that on the grass was a seagull. It was moving its head but otherwise lying still. If was obviously hurt badly. When we went to leave we got a bit closer and it looked like it had been hit by a car and its wing was broken, amongst other injuries. Clearly it couldn’t fly off and most likely was lying there waiting to die.
We debated what to do.
We didn’t think that the RSPCA or RSPB would send out people for a fatally injured seagull (which are not pets nor protected or rare).
Leaving it would probably doom it to a slow death or perhaps dinner for one of the local cats. On that basis we thought the humane thing to do would be to put it out of its misery. However there were a couple of mums with their kids in the park and we were worried of being accused of animal cruelty (plus I was a bit wimpy about having to do it as my wife and daughter would have expected me to do the deed).
In the end we just left it to its fate.
What would you have done?
We debated what to do.
We didn’t think that the RSPCA or RSPB would send out people for a fatally injured seagull (which are not pets nor protected or rare).
Leaving it would probably doom it to a slow death or perhaps dinner for one of the local cats. On that basis we thought the humane thing to do would be to put it out of its misery. However there were a couple of mums with their kids in the park and we were worried of being accused of animal cruelty (plus I was a bit wimpy about having to do it as my wife and daughter would have expected me to do the deed).
In the end we just left it to its fate.
What would you have done?
kers seagulls, they take no prisoners (but lots of chips)Narcisus said:
Called the RSCPA ... We had a Dove in the garden last summer that had been attacked by a Kestrel. We called the RSPCA and within the hour someone was here to collect it.
They called a few days later to say it was recovering well.
Of course it was, sent to a lovely couple who own a farm no doubt They called a few days later to say it was recovering well.
Protections and controls. All British gulls are protected by the European Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) which is transposed into UK law by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and makes it an offence to kill or injure these species, and destroy their eggs or nests.
I think you would have had a defence that putting it out of its misery was the right thing to do. Snapping a birds neck is not all that easy, you have to pull and twist. A lot of animals don’t just die, they twitch and kick etc so it can be distressing for people to see.
I think I would have phoned the RSPCA or maybe Police and just explained what I was going to do, almost to ask permission or not do it if advised not to.
I think you would have had a defence that putting it out of its misery was the right thing to do. Snapping a birds neck is not all that easy, you have to pull and twist. A lot of animals don’t just die, they twitch and kick etc so it can be distressing for people to see.
I think I would have phoned the RSPCA or maybe Police and just explained what I was going to do, almost to ask permission or not do it if advised not to.
Years ago I was in manhattan with my sister and brother in law, a bird literally fell out of the sky and brushed my sister’s head on its way down, it lay quivering on the pavement , my BIL promptly picked it up and wrung its neck there and then, it had flown into a building and was on its last breath. No one around said a thing.
I have an unlikely (but entirely true!) story about a stricken animal.
I was once running/umpiring a junior cricket match when one of the boys spotted what I was later told was an eagle (yes I know it’s unlikely but bear with me…) wringing a screaming rabbits neck/back atop a pitchside tree. The game stopped as we watched the eagle get mobbed by a group of angry crows. I grabbed my phone and took a picture as the eagle took off carrying the rabbit, which it promptly dropped at backward-point. The rabbit was still twitching, and its spine was protruding through its bloodied fur where the eagle had torn it open. A quick assessment suggested it had absolutely no chance, so I asked one of the boys for his bat and dispatched the dying rabbit as humanely as I could with a straight drive. By this time all hell had broken loose. Some of the boys were very upset at the unfolding bloody carnage, but not as upset as a couple of the parents who had come running onto the pitch apparently to administer first aid to the rabbit. My protestations that it was well past the point where first aid might have helped it weren’t well received. Huge fuss and it took me well over ten minutes to regain control and restart the match.
Later that day I was relating the story - saying it was a large bird of prey - to a group including our groundsman, who told me he’d heard an eagle had been “lost” that day from a public display at the nearby Chessington World of Adventures. Apparently it was recovered locally later in the day by its handlers. I don’t know whether or not the bird we saw was actually an eagle, but I’ll see if I can find the photo so you can judge for yourselves.
It’s a good story with just an unidentified bird-of-prey, but a cracker with an eagle so that’s what I’ve stuck with…
[Edit] I found the photo.
I was once running/umpiring a junior cricket match when one of the boys spotted what I was later told was an eagle (yes I know it’s unlikely but bear with me…) wringing a screaming rabbits neck/back atop a pitchside tree. The game stopped as we watched the eagle get mobbed by a group of angry crows. I grabbed my phone and took a picture as the eagle took off carrying the rabbit, which it promptly dropped at backward-point. The rabbit was still twitching, and its spine was protruding through its bloodied fur where the eagle had torn it open. A quick assessment suggested it had absolutely no chance, so I asked one of the boys for his bat and dispatched the dying rabbit as humanely as I could with a straight drive. By this time all hell had broken loose. Some of the boys were very upset at the unfolding bloody carnage, but not as upset as a couple of the parents who had come running onto the pitch apparently to administer first aid to the rabbit. My protestations that it was well past the point where first aid might have helped it weren’t well received. Huge fuss and it took me well over ten minutes to regain control and restart the match.
Later that day I was relating the story - saying it was a large bird of prey - to a group including our groundsman, who told me he’d heard an eagle had been “lost” that day from a public display at the nearby Chessington World of Adventures. Apparently it was recovered locally later in the day by its handlers. I don’t know whether or not the bird we saw was actually an eagle, but I’ll see if I can find the photo so you can judge for yourselves.
It’s a good story with just an unidentified bird-of-prey, but a cracker with an eagle so that’s what I’ve stuck with…
[Edit] I found the photo.
Edited by WindyCommon on Sunday 31st March 22:13
Most people aren’t ready to see someone kill an animal (even if it was the right thing to do). As someone who grew up on a farm and beating for pocket money it’s entirely normal but I would have thought twice about it if there were lots of people about too.
I remember checking on some pheasants with a family friend (gamekeeper) when I was young, he came across a deer that had got itself caught in barbed wire, promptly deployed the Opinel and slit its throat. Remember being quite taken a back at the time! Totally normal for such folk.
I remember checking on some pheasants with a family friend (gamekeeper) when I was young, he came across a deer that had got itself caught in barbed wire, promptly deployed the Opinel and slit its throat. Remember being quite taken a back at the time! Totally normal for such folk.
wibble cb said:
Years ago I was in manhattan with my sister and brother in law, a bird literally fell out of the sky and brushed my sister’s head on its way down, it lay quivering on the pavement , my BIL promptly picked it up and wrung its neck there and then, it had flown into a building and was on its last breath. No one around said a thing.
Had numerous birds hit my windows over the years. Some badly stunned and lay on the ground for quite a while before recovering and flying off.I think your bil should have just left it, not unusual for birds to be stunned.
I dispatched a blackbird which was very injured and couldn't fly in our garden. Used a brick on it's head as I figured this would be instant. I felt terrible about it even though I had ended it's suffering.
I have no idea how to wring a birds neck, seems a slightly psychopathic skill to possess in our modern sanitised society?
I have no idea how to wring a birds neck, seems a slightly psychopathic skill to possess in our modern sanitised society?
Tim Cognito said:
I dispatched a blackbird which was very injured and couldn't fly in our garden. Used a brick on it's head as I figured this would be instant. I felt terrible about it even though I had ended it's suffering.
I have no idea how to wring a birds neck, seems a slightly psychopathic skill to possess in our modern sanitised society?
Very common among anyone that’s ever shot pheasants for example if dog brings a bird back not quite dead. But yeh, fairly niche!I have no idea how to wring a birds neck, seems a slightly psychopathic skill to possess in our modern sanitised society?
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