A man savagely beat a seagull to death, after tried to snatch his kid's ice cream from their hand.
The unidentified man was alleged to have “repeatedly kicked” the herring gull in public, as he launched his revenge attack.
Reports suggested that prior to the beating the seagull had been “perfectly healthy” but tragically died within 24 hours of the incident, due to its injuries, Cornwall Live reported.
Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital in Cornwall tended to the gull in its final hours and said they were “shocked and saddened” by the callous brutality of the tragedy.
A spokesperson said that when the bird arrived to the hospital it was so badly injured it could barely stand or hold its head up. It would die hours later.
The bird hospital reminded people that all wild birds are protected and that it is an offence to injure or kill a seagull.
The Mirror has approached Devon & Cornwall Police for comment over whether they are investigating.
They added that the seagull had likely been tending to chicks, who are now a parent down.
In an update to its Facebook page, the rescue centre said: "We were shocked and saddened to have admitted what was a perfectly healthy adult herring gull after it was kicked repeatedly by a member of the public for knocking an ice cream from the hands of a child in Mousehole Harbour.
"On arrival, they struggled to stand and hold their head up. We can empathise with the disappointment caused, however, violence towards wildlife is never the answer.
“Herring gulls, like all wild birds in the UK, are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and as such it is an offence to intentionally injure or kill them."
The post continued to add that despite the very best efforts of medics the gull died.
The update continued: "We are aware that many people despise gulls due to their tendency to foraging for food in our town and cities but what many do not realise is their move from their natural cliff habitat to our homes is due to overfishing and loss of habitat caused by development – all man-made issues.
"In the UK, herring gulls are listed as a species of conservation priority and have been on the red list since 2015 owing to population declines of over 50% in the last 25 years. They may seem abundant but as they decline in their natural habitat and move into ours, they simply appear more common as we see them more frequently.
"They are just making the best of the poor situation they find themselves in. A simple way of avoiding conflict is to remain aware of gulls in the area when consuming food; especially for vulnerable people like children – there is good evidence that eye contact will reduce food stealing occurrences. Please, please respect our local wildlife."
