Disturbing images reveal injured birds strewn across streets, reportedly drawn there intentionally.
Bird enthusiasts have expressed horror at this brutal practice, which sees food tossed onto the road and unsuspecting drivers hitting the birds as they swoop down to feed. The Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF), a non-profit organisation, has noted an increase in such incidents involving both young people and adults.
A spokesperson from FFF 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.”
Denise Theophilus, founder of FFF, stated that the charity often had to deal with the aftermath of such incidents.
She questioned: “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.”
The details of these incidents left local community members appalled.
One expressed: “What a sick trend. Whoever does this is a heartless waste of oxygen.”
Another commented: “What a horrible human being. Who takes joy out of seeing birds suffer in this way.”