Don't feed fried snacks to seagulls at Airoli: Officials

Mumbai: The state Mangrove Cell has put up banners, warning visitors against feeding fried snacks to seagulls in the Airoli creek area. Following complaints by animal activists and wildlife wardens, the cell recently put up banners at Nariman Point and has even deployed guards to check on visitors feeding such snacks to the birds.

Since last week, the forest department has received three complaints about such activity, including incidents of seagulls being lured onto the highway with such snacks and then getting hit by vehicles. In a letter to the State Forest Department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Sunish Subramanian, wildlife warden of Mumbai and secretary of Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), wrote that visitors had been feeding fried snacks like gaathiya and sev at Airoli Bridge that were unfit for consumption by birds.

“Many joggers feed these birds snacks that lure them to the highway side. On Tuesday, three seagulls were hit even as they flew to the highway. It could turn dangerous for bikers too,” said Mr Subramanian. The

Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forests, Mangrove Cell, said, “We have put boards in areas like Nariman Point and Airoli Bridge where such feeding occurs the most. We have also deployed guards at Nariman Point to stop visitors from feeding these birds.”

Wildlife wardens have asserted that such food items disturb the birds’ normal dietary intake of small fish, worms and insects, causing them health problems. “Not only for the birds, but it also affects hygiene at the site as more hawkers start selling their food items there,” said Mr Subramanian.