Steve Smith

So this is one of our normal gulls that we have, one of our large gulls, and this is a herring gull covered in this orange substance.

So this is one of our normal gulls that we have, one of our large gulls, and this is a herring gull covered in this orange substance.

When we touched the bird and you got this powder on your fingers and sniffed it, you could tell it was obviously the bird, the smell, not the jacket or anything.

When we touched the bird and you got this powder on your fingers and sniffed it, you could tell it was obviously the bird, the smell, not the jacket or anything.

That smelled like curry. Yeah, the whole hospital smelled of curry powder. You came through the door and you felt like someone was cooking. So it was, yeah, really pungent.

That smelled like curry. Yeah, the whole hospital smelled of curry powder. You came through the door and you felt like someone was cooking. So it was, yeah, really pungent.

Well, that's a really good question. We were discussing that ourselves. So we assumed maybe a big catering plant or one of the big factories that make crisps or curry or seasoning. And they have these big drums and we think a drum may have been left uncovered and he probably got trapped in there. And in the process of trying to get out, this got completely covered in the powder.

Well, that's a really good question. We were discussing that ourselves. So we assumed maybe a big catering plant or one of the big factories that make crisps or curry or seasoning. And they have these big drums and we think a drum may have been left uncovered and he probably got trapped in there. And in the process of trying to get out, this got completely covered in the powder.

Yeah, the bird was bright, was alert, didn't have any gastrointestinal signs and was clearly behaving normally despite some sort of misadventure previously. So we have a washing protocol and you bath them in a nice hot bath with washing up liquid and basically you have to sit there for... probably 40 minutes to an hour washing each feather to try and get the substance off.

Yeah, the bird was bright, was alert, didn't have any gastrointestinal signs and was clearly behaving normally despite some sort of misadventure previously. So we have a washing protocol and you bath them in a nice hot bath with washing up liquid and basically you have to sit there for... probably 40 minutes to an hour washing each feather to try and get the substance off.

And so you sort of do that as long as the bird tolerates it.

And so you sort of do that as long as the bird tolerates it.

They are not friendly birds. They probably have the most attitude of any of the birds we see. So especially herring gulls, which is one of our bigger types of gull.

They are not friendly birds. They probably have the most attitude of any of the birds we see. So especially herring gulls, which is one of our bigger types of gull.

He didn't enjoy his bath, so it certainly gave us quite the runaround when we were trying to do it. You should see the injuries on the hands from him nipping the nurses and us from the bath.

He didn't enjoy his bath, so it certainly gave us quite the runaround when we were trying to do it. You should see the injuries on the hands from him nipping the nurses and us from the bath.

By the sixth bath, he did not appreciate it any more than the first, and was learning all the tricks to try and avoid us.

By the sixth bath, he did not appreciate it any more than the first, and was learning all the tricks to try and avoid us.

Ready, steady, go!

Ready, steady, go!