RSPCA urge public not to ‘rescue’ healthy baby gulls this summer

Thousands of baby gulls are being unnecessarily rescued every summer - according to wildlife charities urging people across Merseyside to think twice before intervening.

The RSPCA, Scottish SPCA and the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council say many young gulls brought into care are actually healthy fledglings learning to fly.

Wildlife centres across the UK see a big rise in gull admissions during the summer months, with charities warning the increase is putting pressure on already stretched rescue services.

Mike Scargill from the RSPCA and says gulls are endangered and best left alone:

"You get really well meaning people who have maybe monitored and are still really concerned. Sometimes it's best to just monitor, watch them and just leave in situ, and as I say a lot of the time it will resolve itself."

The organisations say removing healthy chicks from the wild can reduce their chances of survival and may even break the law if birds are taken from nests unnecessarily.

Over the past five years, the RSPCA says it has cared for nearly 4,000 gulls - with more than half involving young birds believed to be orphaned or stranded.

The Scottish SPCA dealt with more than 11,000 gull-related incidents in the same period.

Experts are advising people to only intervene if a gull is clearly sick or injured.

They say healthy young gulls should usually be left alone so their parents can continue caring for them.

The charity is also warning that handling birds can increase the risk of spreading diseases including bird flu.