It seems as though more and more birds are yearning to be taken out to the ballgame at the AT&T Park in San Francisco.
But, instead of being interested in watching the San Francisco Giants, they are more focused on the peanuts and Cracker Jack.
According to the New York Times, gulls are becoming a major problem at Giants home games because they’re flocking into the stands in search of edible trash.
They’ve been present since the waterfront ballpark first opened in 2000, but they’ve only lately been swooping down in the stands while the game is still on.
The birds usually come in around the 7th inning stretch to eat dropped fries, defecate on fans and peck at trash.
Even though there seems to be more birds, studies have suggested there hasn’t been an increase in gull populations. Instead, experts are postulating that gulls are adapting to human behavior and becoming braver.
So, what’s a massive waterfront baseball stadium to do about a rambunctious gang of gulls? One proposed plan is to bring in a couple trained falcons during the games to scare the sea gulls off. They’re also trying to encourage a pair of peregrine falcons to nest in the park.
These methods are the most humane and natural ways to deter gulls from swarming the stadium without having to kill them.
Gulls should have the right to eat food, but not when it’s overly aggressive and getting to the point of disrupting baseball games.
It’ll be interesting to see how this situation plays out.
