STRIPED: A gray gull was found on Sunday with a plastic strip around its beak. – The seagull will suffer a terrible fate if it is not found, says Alf Bergin.
– When you strip the beak, you are actively advocating for it to suffer, says game manager Lars Dahle Øverby.
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A family in Stavanger discovered a seagull with its beak tied with strips. Sør-West police district has confirmed that a case has been opened regarding the incident. Game manager Lars Dahle Øverby in Stavanger municipality has stated that the action is shocking, as it involves actively harming the animal. view more
– That someone can come up with something like that is simply torture, says Alf Bergin.
On Sunday, he and his family were on their way home after visiting a restaurant in central Stavanger.
The city is teeming with bird life, with everything from swans to seagulls. In the middle of the square, Bergin spotted a seagull that stood out from the rest.
– We didn’t think much about it at first, then I discovered that there was something about the gull’s beak, he says.
Eventually it dawned on him what had happened: the seagull had been stripped in its beak.
– Then we were just sad and upset. It is completely unacceptable, says Bergin.
It was Stavanger Aftenblad who mentioned the incident first.
Police case
Despite the shocking sight, it wasn’t until the following day that the family really realized what they had seen, says Bergin.
The family was at Mosvangen Camping when they spotted a police car coming down.
– Then I stopped two police officers and showed them the photos of the seagull. They seized on the matter straight away and opened a police case, he says.
VG has been in contact with the Sør-Vest police district, which confirms that a case has been opened on the matter.
– The police do not know who did this or where it happened. We have little to go on, says on-call lawyer Sveinung Andersen.
The police attorney says that they have been tipped off about the sighting of several seagulls with striped beaks.
The penalty for violating the Animal Welfare Act is fines or up to one year in prison.
– The seagull will suffer a terrible fate if it is not found, says Alf Bergin.
SHOCKED: Wildlife manager in Stavanger municipality, Lars Dahle Øverby, reacts strongly to the fact that someone has stripped the seagull. – We have an animal welfare law in Norway, which is supposed to protect animals. This is just shocking, he says. Photo: Private
– Shocking
Unfortunately, this is not the first time seagulls have been stripped in Rogaland, says Lars Dahle Øverby, biologist and wildlife manager in Stavanger municipality.
– The same thing happened most recently with a seagull at Ålgård in July. It is very sad, he says.
– When you strip the beak, you are actively advocating for it to suffer. That makes this all the more shocking.
In recent days, he has been looking for the seagull – without success. The plastic strip is very light in color and difficult to see from a distance.
– We ended the search relatively quickly. It will be like finding a needle in a haystack. Now we hope that someone who sees it can call us, so that we can catch it and remove the strip.
– How could this happen, do you think?
– We are close to the residents and the seagulls in the wildlife management. We experience that there is sometimes conflict. People come to us with concerns and think the seagulls are aggressive.
– Basically, the seagulls are not aggressive, they just try to protect the young, says Øverby.
He emphasizes that not everyone in Stavanger thinks the seagulls are a nuisance.
– We receive many inquiries from people who want to help seagulls. It is also important to get the word out, he says.
Published:
Published: 02.08.23 at 15:50
Updated: 02.08.23 at 16:21
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2023-08-02 13:50:25
#seagull #strips #beak #Torture
