Curry-Covered Bird Rescued After It Was Found On The Roadside
A roadside rescue in the United Kingdom turned unexpectedly strange when passersby spotted a bright orange bird that looked almost too unusual to be real. What seemed like a rare golden find was actually a seagull in trouble, covered in curry or turmeric and unable to fly.
The bird was taken to Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital on July 1 after people found it struggling by the road. The hospital later shared the case on Facebook, and the seagull quickly drew attention for its vivid color before staff figured out what had really happened.
Vinny’s recovery has become the best part of the story, and his return to the wild is now getting closer.
People passing by saw this struggling "golden" bird on the roadside that was floundering and unable to fly.
"We had no idea what to expect—and would never have guessed this!" the hospital said in their Facebook post. As it turns out, the "golden" bird was just covered "in curry or turmeric," according to the hospital.
They named it Vinny, after vindaloo, an Indian dish.
Even though it had a pungent smell and was probably traumatized by the bathing process, Vinny was otherwise healthy. Now, he's set to go back into the wild after his bath—and he looks great, too!
That bright color was doing all the talking at first.
Vinny’s rescue feels a lot like the eggshell rescue that turned into a remarkable transformation.
This may be a funny and rare story to tell, but this is not actually the first time that wildlife specialists have had to give a bath and treat a bird soaked in curry.
In 2016, a seagull named Gullfrazie fell into a vat of chicken tikka masala while trying to scavenge for food at a factory in the United Kingdom. According to The Guardian, a group of veterinary staff was able to rinse him off and return him to his original glory, but the smell of curry lingered.
“The thing that shocked us the most was the smell,” veterinary nurse Lucy Kells said at the time. “He smelled amazing; he smelled really good.”
Well, hopefully, Vinny won't share the same fate as Gullfrazie and will be released into the wild free from the smell of turmeric and curry. On the bright side, the hospital has stated that Vinny is recovering well enough, just in time for his "release"!
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Vinny’s story is hard to forget.
Nothing can stop this seagull from waiting outside the fishmonger’s shop, even on holidays. See the relentless bird.
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