How am I allowed to injure a seagull after it attacked another person?
Posted by Good0times@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 11 comments
I am a student. Was walking round campus and saw a gull fly down, attack a young woman holding a muffin by striking her head in a way that looked painful. She ran off leaving said muffin available. Mr. Gull thought he had lunched sorted, but I chased the little bastard off. It did a few aerial swoops and left. No lunch for you.
We've had some e-mail circulars recently about gulls attacking people and not to eat in public. Ok people don't follow advice and also you don't harm animals. But looking back that attacked a person. What are you supposed to do? Call the police? Ask them to arrest a seagull? Why are we living under the tyranny of fucking seagulls?
BeanOnAJourney@reddit
What a thoroughly wretched attitude towards an already struggling, maligned wild animal. It didn't "attack" anybody, it saw an opportunity for a meal and acted on it. It doesn't understand the concept of human food not being bird food. To want to cause hurt to a wild animal that is just trying to survive in an increasingly hostile world is absolutely heinous.
huskydaisy@reddit
No. If you're trying to prevent an attack that would be a different story but if you go for the gull after an attack that's just plain old animal abuse.
Same concept with humans when it comes to self defence vs. assault. if the danger has passed, fucking leave it.
Good0times@reddit (OP)
We might have to be somewhat clearer here. These are wild animals. For all we wish, they may not appreciate animal abuse legislation.
If an animal attacks a human and gains advantage from this behaviour, what precedent does it set? There may not have been any immediate danger to myself or others when I was chasing the little twat for a bit. But it attacked a human in broad daylight to her head and eyes right in front of me. Doing nothing feels worse than doing something.
huskydaisy@reddit
...for all the gulls that are reading this?
Simple-Courage-3948@reddit
Gulls are way to thick to understand a "precedent"
namtabmai@reddit
Not sure if there is a /r/birdlawuk but /r/legaladviceuk would likely say you are allowed to use reasonable measures to defend yourself but going vigilant on a wild animal would be a no-go.
EdmundTheInsulter@reddit
Dress in a giant bird suit to frighten it or deploy a THAAD missile
EdmundTheInsulter@reddit
Dress in a giant bird suit to frighten it or deploy a THAAD missile
Drab_Majesty@reddit
If you try and injure an animal you will more than likely get belted. We have impacted their environment enough, no need to intentionally harm them.
trypnosis@reddit
I think it’s fair to strike the attacker while they are committing the heinous attack.
However, while the attacker is simply collecting its loot post the attack violence maybe over kill.
I would say simple hand flailing is the most one can do assuming a person is not at risk.
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