People Save “Exotic Bird” That’s Really Just A Seagull Covered In Curry

Vinny the curry covered seagull being held by Tiggywinkles staff
Facebook/Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital
Facebook/Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital

Concerned residents in Buckinghamshire, England, brought an "exotic" curry-covered seagull to the vet.

The orange bird wandered along the side of the A41 on the weekend of July 6th. When kind-hearted people noticed him, they assumed that he was an endangered species and opted to save him. They called the Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham, who didn't know what to expect when they heard that an orange bird was being brought in.

What they received wasn't a rare species, but a herring gull. The vets had to explain that this seagull somehow found himself covered in curry powder, or possibly turmeric. "This is one of the strangest casualty circumstances we have seen in a while!" the animal hospital wrote on Facebook.

The hospital staff named the seagull Vinny, after vindaloo curry. "We have no idea how he got into this predicament," they added. "But thankfully, apart from the vibrant colour and pungent smell, he was healthy."

While Vinny's predicament seems odd, it's happened before. In Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, a different seagull ended up covered in curry in 2016 after it fell into a vat of chicken tikka masala. Seagulls love their curry in the United Kingdom.

Tiggywinkles staff have washed off Vinny and reported that he should be able to fly free soon.