A seagull chick was found in Exmouth glued to a wall. Despite the best efforts of bird rescuers, the young bird succumbed to its injuries, with maggots thought to have infested its brain through a wound on its head.
The distressing incident came to light when concerned individuals contacted Jennifer Steer, a dedicated animal rescuer, about a seagull chick that had been glued to a wall in Exmouth.
The police had managed to free the bird, but it required urgent medical attention due to a severe wound on its head.
Jennifer Steer shared the details of the incident, saying: “We had a phone call that this gull had been found in Exmouth and had been glued to the wall. I think the police had released it and let it go.
“The poor bird’s head looked like it was bald, it was really hard and the skin was in almost patchwork and I think it had been pecked before. I put cream on it the night I got him and I let him walk and he’s walking very slowly and then he’d trip over something and he’s obviously not right.”
The following day, Jennifer made a disturbing discovery – the seagull’s head was infested with maggots. Initially fearing the bird would have to be euthanised, she sought advice and learned the maggots could be removed using antiseptic spray. Despite her efforts to clean the wound, the seagull tragically passed away a few hours later.
Jennifer said: “The next day, I was looking at his head and saw something moving and it was absolutely crawling with maggots. The maggots had got under the wounds on his head. Initially I thought I was going to have to take him to be put down and then I spoke to another bird sanctuary and she said you can wash [the maggots] out with this antiseptic spray.
“I sprayed it on and went through with tweezers and just got them out. I got the dead skin off and it was lovely and clean but he was shaking his head a bit and the vet later confirmed that the maggots had probably got into his brain. A couple of hours later, he was gone, he was dead.
“I was really upset because they’re innocent creatures. His wings were hanging down as well because they had got really stretched. It’s horrible to see because his dignity was gone. I’ve never seen anything so horrible.”
The loss of the seagull chick deeply affected Jennifer, who passionately cares for animals. Her journey began when she worked as a response driver for Secret World Wildlife, an organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife.
Jennifer was asked to care for a bird while an elderly woman, who rescued birds in and around Exeter, was in the hospital. Since then, Jennifer and the elderly woman have collaborated to rescue sick and injured birds in the area, particularly gulls and corvids (crows, ravens, magpies, and jackdaws).
Jennifer is determined to improve the reputation of these bird species, which she believes receive unfair treatment. She hopes to change people’s negative perceptions and create a sanctuary for disabled and long-term recovering gulls and corvids.
Jennifer’s dedication led her to establish the website Home in 2014, where she encouraged individuals from around the world to share positive experiences and counter the negative narratives surrounding seagulls.
In an effort to provide better care for the rescued birds, Jennifer and her partner have invested in an enclosed aviary, which will be erected soon. However, they are in desperate need of additional support.
She said: “We’ve paid for an enclosed aviary and that’s going to be erected this week. My dream is to get a sanctuary for disabled and long-term recovering gulls and corvids.
“It’s just me and this elderly lady who are caring for these birds and cover Exeter and the surrounding area. If we didn’t take them in then they would have to be put to sleep. We are desperate to get help. We need some land but we also want some land because if you just leave them in a field then people might just sabotage it.”
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