"Bird flu" gull was drunk
It's dangerous for any of us to overindulge on alcohol, but it seems that in the era of bird flu it is even more risky for our feathered friends.
When a seagull in Sundsvall, northern Sweden, was spotted looking a bit under the weather, vets suspected the worst.
The gull was lying on its back and kicking about, Sundsvall Tidningen reports, adding that "a yellowish liquid was coming from its beak and anal opening."
Nils Lundmark, "Sundsvall's local bird expert" according to the paper, said at the time that it was "frightening" to see the bird struggling on its back.
The truth, however, was less sinister. When results came back from the lab on Tuesday they showed that the bird had not had flu, but had been suffering from nothing worse than a hangover.
The news came too late for the unfortunate gull – vets had already put it down.
Vets believe that the most likely reason for the bird's inebriation was that it had eaten yeast at a local dump.
"I never realised that he was drunk," said Lundmark, "but this just shows how dangerous it is to drink alcohol."
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When a seagull in Sundsvall, northern Sweden, was spotted looking a bit under the weather, vets suspected the worst.
The gull was lying on its back and kicking about, Sundsvall Tidningen reports, adding that "a yellowish liquid was coming from its beak and anal opening."
Nils Lundmark, "Sundsvall's local bird expert" according to the paper, said at the time that it was "frightening" to see the bird struggling on its back.
The truth, however, was less sinister. When results came back from the lab on Tuesday they showed that the bird had not had flu, but had been suffering from nothing worse than a hangover.
The news came too late for the unfortunate gull – vets had already put it down.
Vets believe that the most likely reason for the bird's inebriation was that it had eaten yeast at a local dump.
"I never realised that he was drunk," said Lundmark, "but this just shows how dangerous it is to drink alcohol."
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