Is there any urban wildlife as dangerous and aggressive as the British Herring Gull?
It will absolutely fuck you up for a chip.
Apparently Sydney, in Australia, is having problems with aggressive gulls and they’ve employed dog walkers to scare them off. I saw a picture.
In England, the gulls would take the dog. Easily. It was not a big dog.
The Herring Gull would totally win in a fight.
Don’t mess with them. They remember you, and after making you bleed, will make a point of shitting on you every time it sees you afterwards.
If it wants the chip, give it the bag. Honestly, not giving it the chip is risking you getting into some serious “I just killed John Wick’s dog” type shit.
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Ben Curthoys
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •You have reminded me, and so for the benefit of those who few who don't already know it, here is a link to the "bag of chips at the train station" story:
https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2016/02/02/story-man-feeding-seagull-train-station-hilarious/
This story about a man feeding a seagull at a train station is hilarious
Normal Bates (The Poke)Alexandra Lanes reshared this.
Sarah Brown
in reply to Ben Curthoys • •Uraael
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •In Aberdeen I called them Larus Mafiosa. Street muggings for sandwiches were common. As was Shoplifting. Rumour was they were paid to cull the local homeless population as well. But the worst I personally saw was when they tried to take my house/me one year, via persistent tapping on my bedroom window, and returned the following year on the exact same date to try it again.
Bloody protected species, as well. Can't live with 'em, get heavily fined for shooting 'em.
Sam the seagull stealing Doritos
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FeralRobots
in reply to Uraael • • •An old girlfriend who spends a lot of time in Venice refers to the Venetian gulls as "the Gabbiano* crime family."
@goatsarah
_
*'Seagull' in Italian
Sion [main]
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Australian magpies. They're not even mercenary enough to do it because they're after your chips, they'll try and take chunks out of your scalp just for being on their patch.
And if you happen to be wearing a cycle helmet, they'll go for knocking you off your bike instead.
Sion [main]
in reply to Sion [main] • • •Bishop Joey (he/him)
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •*Word*
Here in the Netherlands, those expletivedeleteds will take the fish *right* out of your hand. Seen 'em do it.
Stuart D Neilson
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/16/theyre-here-at-our-invitation-how-gulls-took-over-the-uks-cities
‘They’re here at our invitation’: how gulls took over the UK’s cities
Linda Geddes (The Guardian)Sarah Brown
in reply to Stuart D Neilson • •@Stuart D Neilson Why they steal my pot plants then?
And the pots?
Stuart D Neilson
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
FeralRobots
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •like this
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Alexandra Lanes
in reply to Sarah Brown • •Adam
in reply to Alexandra Lanes • • •Alexandra Lanes likes this.
blacksanshoes
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Simon dē Gulielmō
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •lizzzzard
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Benedict Cumberbatch reads a hilarious letter of apology to a hotel
YouTubeDuncan
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown
Unknown parent • •@Inken Paper Thing is (and we have Canada geese in the UK too), they’re basically bluffing. You can run screaming at geese and they will usually flee. Geese are colossal bullshitters who only follow through if they think you are intimidated by them (see also swans).
A seagull, however, will bear a grudge on you and your descendants for generations if you cross it.
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Sarah Brown
in reply to Sarah Brown • •@Inken Paper It knows how to make your life a misery and it will fight a war of attrition against you literally for years. Every time you leave the house, it will shit on you. It will dive bomb you with its mates. It will learn your habits and lie waiting in ambush. They are basically mafia.
Geese have nothing in comparison.
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