A SPCA centre in the United Kingdom has been forced to contend with hordes of apparently drunk seagulls after a rise in the number of ill birds nearby.
The RSPCA centre at West Hatch near Taunton, Somerset, has had up to 30 of the birds in the last two weeks, all of them reeking of alcohol, the Telegraph reports.
Residents in the area believe they have been drinking leftover alcohol from litter on the beach, but there's another theory the birds are getting into beer brewing by-products.
"They all seem to have ingested some sort of grain - possibly from a brewery - that appears to have made them inebriated," local vet David Couper told the Telegraph.
The birds have all been rendered incapable of flight and Mr Couper said the situation was extremely unusual.
"We had a couple of isolated cases last year," he told the Telegraph.
"But this year there has been a spate of cases with birds from east Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
"Some of the birds have been found unconscious or staggering and all were reeking of alcohol."
Firefighters were called to assist one possibly drunk seagull, who was seen lurching about dangerously on a roof.
By the time they arrived the bird had fallen off the roof and was sitting on the ground shaking his head.
"He then tried to fly and he nearly hit me in the face," said RSPCA manager Virgil Turner.
"I caught him and he threw up all over me and he reeked of beer."
Some of the birds died and others have been left seriously ill by the apparent inebriation. Mr Couper told the Telegraph a number of the birds came right after some rest and rehydration.
No word about how bad the hangover was though.
Newshub.
