Toronto Wildlife Centre ‘overwhelmed’ after hundreds of baby gulls leap from hot roof
Posted July 2, 2018 1:55 pm.
Last Updated July 2, 2018 7:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds of birds have been killed or injured after the high heat has forced baby gulls hatched on a Scarborough roof to take a leap for their lives.
A colony of about 4,000 gulls have made the roof of the industrial building at 1399 Kennedy Road their home. Feathers, feces, and bird carcasses litter the surrounding pavement.
Workers at the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) say the gulls have been jumping off the building’s scalding roof during the heat wave, forced to choose between burning their feet or trying to escape by flying before they’re ready.
“It’s very upsetting to think about them out there just getting so hot these poor little babies. It’s so tragic,” says Nathalie Karvonen, director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
Wildlife Centre workers have been scrambling to rescue them since last week. They have brought hundreds of birds to their recovery centre for treatment. Some received fluids and others were treated for burns on their feet, TWC said in a Facebook post.
The TWC team then attempted to reunite the babies with their parents, but many of them once again jumped.
“Currently, there are over 90 baby gulls in care, and TWC’s rescue team is no longer taking the risk to return them back to the roof colony,” TWC said.
Kavornen, says the facility is overwhelmed.
They are now seeking the public’s help transporting over 100 baby gulls to four rehabilitation centres.
The TWC said they’ve since taken in more of the babies, and they are appealing to the public for help transporting them to four different rehabilitation centres in Jarvis, Pefferlaw, Greater Napanee, or Grimsby.
