Gulls dive bomb RSPCA rescuers as they free young bird trapped at Hartlepool building

A young bird was reunited with its mother following an RSPCA rescue at a high building in Hartlepool. Credit: RSPCA

A young gull was reunited with its mother after becoming trapped in a gap in a high building.

RSPCA officer Krissy Raine was dive-bombed by the mother gull when she went to rescue the young bird in Hartlepool.

The gull was stuck in a narrow gap between a third-storey apartment and pillars fronting the rooftop of Park Tower on Park Road.

The distressed young bird had been trapped for two days and a resident, who had been feeding him, contacted the animal charity.

Ms Raine said: "This poor gull was in a really difficult position to reach as he had dropped down a v-shaped gap on the rooftop.

“The windows of the flat next to it are grilled off and while that was the best route of access we weren’t able to remove them because the building is listed. 

“So we put some ladders up around the back of the building and I climbed up that way. While I was reaching out to the gull,  I attracted the attention of the parents and they weren’t that happy to see me. They were dive-bombing me!

“But I managed to hook the young one in my net. He was fine and I was soon able to release him and he was off in the air with his mother.”

A gull became trapped in netting at South Shields' Asda. Credit: RSPCA

The charity has been involved in rescuing other birds from netting at several high spots in recent weeks.

A gull was spotted hanging upside down from the roof of the Asda store in Coronation Street in South Shields after its legs got caught up in netting.

Inspector Helen Nedley received assistance from fire and rescue officers, who accessed the roof space, where they also found a fledgling caught in the same netting on 27 July. Both birds were taken to local animal rescue Pawz for Thought for rehabilitation.

A kittiwake was also rescued from netting placed high on a building in Sandhill, in Newcastle on 5 August. The bird also went to Pawz for Thought to have a foot problem checked out.

In 2022 the RSPCA dealt with over 1,300 reports of wild birds trapped in or behind netting, which can cause problems when put up incorrectly or if it is damaged.

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