No Indiscriminate Shooting Of Gulls On Scots College Fields

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27738, 16 August 1955, Page 14

No Indiscriminate Shooting Of Gulls On Scots College Fields

"The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, August 15. There will be no indiscriminate slaughter of seagulls on the playing fields of Scots College. If two new methods of scaring the birds fail, it is expected that only two or three gulls will have to be killed. As it is, the habits of the birds constitute a risk of skin infection to those using the ground, and the headmaster (Mr K. W. R. Glasgow) invited experts to examine the situation before seeking permission to shoot. “A good deal of alarm has been caused among bird-lovers by a decision of the Internal Affairs Department to allow the Scots College headmaster to shoot some seagulls,” said the president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society (Mr R. Nelson). “We are very glad of this evidence that so many are concerned about the welfare of our birds, nevertheless, there are facts which it is well should be known. “The Allege playing fields encourage an unusually large number of

gulls because of the proximity of sea on three sides. These gulls puddle the ground into mud with their feet and the great number of droppings dissolved into this mud forms a risk of injury to the skin when boys are playing on the field. “The headmaster is bound to protect his boys and in efforts to drive the birds away has tried all sorts of schemes. He has shown the courtesy of inviting representatives of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Forest and Bird Protection Society to visit the school and examine the situation. He has been in touch with the Departments of Agriculture and, of course, Internal Affairs. He is now trying two new methods of scaring the birds suggested by the S.P.C.A. “If it is necessary to shoot birds this will be done by himself when boys are not present and in such a manner that each time only one bird is killed and no others injured. It is expected that he would not have to kill more than two or three birds.”