What Person Thinks They Have the Right?

I read a small tid-bit in the Toronto Sun today about approximately 300 to 400 Seagulls being poisoned out Windsor, Ontario way. 100+ were already dead and the rest are suffering and waiting to die.

I've done some further reading and other versions of the story don't stray far from the above details. It appears someone has been leaving tainted food on the top of a closed Home Depot store which has been empty for about a year now.

Where do I begin? Love them or hate them, a Seagull is a living creature. It feels pain much like we do. Why is someone poisoning them? What right do they have to choose that hundreds of these birds must die?

Here is a shocking quote from the article too... "If it's considered pest control, it's not illegal.... Under the animal protection legislation". Why does that not make any sense to me? Animal protection legislation allows such inhumane forms of pest control?

Next, what about the food chain? I am sure there are other birds and animals in the area who may go for this tainted food. They will be dealt the same fate. Also, other birds and animals may find one of these dead Gulls, feed upon it, and too end up dead.

I don't have much knowledge or experience with Seagulls other than feeding them french fries at the park, or this one who hangs out at a drive-thru Tim Horton's in Meaford, Ontario and gets fed lots of Tim-bits through-out the day by the employees or customers. He's quite a character! I've enjoyed watching them in groups up along Georgian Bay, waiting for beach goers to hit the water, leaving their picnic lunches unattended. I have to admit I even laugh when they chase little kids along the beach wanting whatever they may be eating. Many of the kids drop their ice cream cone or hot dog in the sand and run away screaming while the Gulls quickly devour the spilled snack. Which leads me to one thing they are good for... shore line clean up. You don't get too many dead fish along the shore with the Gulls around.

I understand cities and their "culling" tactics due to mess and over population. I may not like it, I may not agree with it every time, but I understand it (sometimes). New York recently gassed over 2,000 Canada Geese. Something about the mess and to do with that plane that crashing into the Hudson River (01/15/2009) which they blame a flock of Geese for... flying into the engines; or did they actually get sucked into the turbines?

The Human race can be such a cruel and selfish lot at times. Far too often I am not proud of what man kind does to the other creatures who inhabit this planet. A Seagull surely has it's right to a life on this planet.

I know a number of people who are unhappy with the Seagull population in Toronto. Yes, Seagulls are shorebirds, but Toronto is built along Lake Ontario, and the Gulls are making their way inland more and more. There are a number of rivers, creeks and ponds within the city but what lures them in even more so is the amount of food litter people leave carelessly about the ground. I snapped this shot one afternoon at a strip mall parking lot. Dispose of your food waste properly and scenes like this won't happen. I commend this Gull for stepping in to clean up, even though he's going to make a heck of a mess of that non-biodegradable styro-foam container first.



I would like to end this on a happier note... trying to give these squawky, garbage eating, poop machines a better image. If you cut and paste the link below, you will witness a 13 second video, which many of you probably have already seen, of one quite famous and clever Seagull in Scotland who loves Doritos so much and knows where and how to get them. If this doesn't show you there is more to these creatures and animals in general, I don't know what will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VILrWeO5QYs