Drunken Seagulls Found Lurching On Beaches: What Happens When Birds Consume Alcohol?
7 July 2018, 11:25 pm EDT By Athena Yenko Tech Times
Numerous seagulls are being taken to a local charity due to vomiting and staggering to walk. Once examined, rescuers found them bloated and reeking of alcohol.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, an organization operating in England and Wales, said the seagulls also were unable to fly. The group has saved nearly 30 drunken seagulls in a span of two weeks.
Some of the seagulls they took were found unconscious by people while some were weirdly lurching as they hopped along the beach shores. Others looked like they contracted a grave infection. A few, unfortunately, died due to dehydration after vomiting for days but fortunately for others, they recuperated after rest and rehydration.
Drunken Seagulls
The charity has recorded a video of one of the seagulls. The bird can be seen staggering while trying to straighten up and balance its legs. The drunken seagull is acting like any human being who consumed too much drink after a night of partying.
In one rescue operation, six firefighters attended to a call about a frantic seagull that had fallen from a roof. The bird was shaking its head uncontrollably.
The bird tried to escape the rescuers and nearly hit one of them in the face. Once pinned down, the seagull threw up and the bird's vomit reeked of beer.
Increasing Number Of Drunken Seagulls
The RSPCA was particularly concerned about the frequency of instances the intoxicated seagulls were brought to them. The number of birds taken to them in two weeks was unusual and never encountered before.
The charity is now suspecting that seagulls could be drinking leftover alcohol thrown away at local beaches. Of much greater concern, however, is that the seagulls might be drinking from the waste products of local breweries.
RSCPA is leaning toward the latter as the most likely reason. It, therefore, calls on the local distilleries to ensure that their waste management is efficient and that their waste products are inaccessible to birds or to other animals.
David Couper, a veterinarian working with RSCPA, also called for fellow veterinarians who might be asked to treat the drunken seagulls.
"I'd like to urge any local vets who see birds coming in with similar symptoms not to euthanize them but to give them a chance to recover from the effects of the alcohol," Couper said.
Birds Can Hold Alcohol Better Than Humans
In 2015, a group of scientists found birds, like humans, slurred when drinking too much alcohol. The birds also sing in a hushed but disorganized manner.
The birds were also found to be enjoying drinking alcohol. The researchers said the birds did not want to stop drinking alcohol as long as there is something to drink. The birds, in fact, can drink amounts of alcohol that can already be risky to humans.
Interestingly, the birds showed that they are much in control when intoxicated compared to humans.
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