HE may look cute and cuddly now, but this little fella has a lot of growing to do – and will turn in to one of the biggest and much-maligned birds of our skies.
For this is a baby gull and he has been given a second chance at life after being found wandering alone in Ipswich town centre.
The youngster was just a few days old and seemingly abandoned by his parents when Sally Wilson found him on the Cornhill at 1am in the morning.
Miss Wilson, 43, a police officer, scooped him up in her hat and found a box near the Golden Lion and took him home.
Now he is living in an old guinea pig hutch and growing fast.
She said: “Normally I don’t interfere with birds or wildlife but I was just so afraid that some drunken idiot would stand on him or that he would be got by a cat.
“I put him in my hat and then in the box and brought him home. At least he didn’t end up being squashed – you hear about people standing on baby ducks for the fun of it.”
The gull chick – which has been christened Steven after actor and musician Steven Seagal – has not been fazed by his new surroundings and has been tucking into regular meals of pilchards, sardines and cat food.
Miss Wilson said: “He is doing really well and I am keeping my fingers crossed that hopefully he will grow strong enough to be able to fly away and fend for himself, but I don’t know what the outcome will be yet.
“I was putting the food on a fork at first but now he scavenges for himself off the ground.
“He’s quite sweet. When I found him he had all feathery down but now his feathers are starting to change and I am sure it won’t be too long before he has proper ones. I think it will be about 35 days and then we will see what happens.
“When he gets too big for the guinea pig hutch I will move him into a bigger cage.
“I just couldn’t bear to think that he might have died and wanted to give him another chance at life.”
Have you helped a bird or animal in extreme circumstances? Tell us your story – write to Star Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN.
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