Denbighshire Council Officers and Council Lifeguards had to deal with suspected poisoning of a number of Seagulls over the weekend. Lifeguards and members of the public raised concerns on Saturday afternoon after large number of Seagulls started collapsing on the beach in Rhyl.
The gulls appeared to start convulsing and then collapsed. As initially the cause was unknown and the birds were all centred around a particular area, the Police and RSPCA were contacted, and the decision was made to close off a section of the beach, until the cause could be identified. At least three of the birds were known to have died and seven were taken for treatment to a local vets by the RSPCA.
A post mortem was carried out on the dead birds and it was suspected that they had all eaten chips which may have been laced with a poision.
Ian Olson Coastal Facilities Officer said:
“Initially our concerns were for public safety and until we could identify what was causing the problem with the birds, we closed off the beach. However once initial investigations were carried out, it was suspected that the birds had eaten something poisonous. At this point we collected the gulls and reopened the beach. North Wales Police are aware of the situation and if anyone has any information relating to the cause, I advise them to contact the Police on 101. “
