The Brits love a curry—and so, too, do British seabirds.
For (at least) the second time in three years, a seagull was brought to a UK veterinary hospital covered in orange food seasoning.
The Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital last week received an exotic-looking avian patient, rescued from the side of the road, where it was struggling to fly.
“We had no idea what to expect,” the vet wrote in a July 1 Facebook post. “And [we] would never have guessed at this.”
“He had somehow gotten himself covered in curry,” the doctors said of the carrot-colored bird. “It was all over his feathers, preventing him from flying properly.”
What was believed to be an “exotic” bird turned out to be a seagull (via Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital)
The traditional Indian dish uses a combination of spices and herbs—usually turmeric, which gives it that authentically orange hue—and is generally prepared in a sauce.
Popular in the UK, there is a curry house in nearly every town, including Aylesbury, where the Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital is located.
“Apart from the vibrant color and pungent smell, [the bird] was healthy,” Tiggywinkles reported.
It’s still unclear exactly how the gull—named Vinny after a Vindaloo curry—found himself in such a bright predicament. In fact, we’ll probably never know: It’s not like he can share his tale over a beer at the pub.
The veterinary team, armed with bubbles and gloves, managed to scrub Vinny clean.
“He is now looking much better and should be able to go for release very soon,” the Facebook post said. “As we say, we never know what will come through our doors next.”
Named after Vindaloo curry, “Vinny” was a healthy bird (via What was believed to be an “exotic” bird turned out to be a seagull (via Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital)
In the summer of 2016, The Guardian reported a similar situation: A seagull, scavenging in a food factory dumpster, fell into a vat of chicken tikka masala.
Rescued by workers at the site in Wales, it was delivered to the Vale Wildlife Hospital in nearby Tewkesbury, where staff used dish soap to remove the stain.
Unfortunately (or not), they were unable to wash away the smell of curry.
“He really surprised everyone here—we had never seen anything like it before,” veterinary nurse Lucy Kells said at the time. “The thing that shocked us the most was the smell. He smelled amazing, he really smelled good.”
The undernourished bird, nicknamed “Gullfrazie” on Facebook, was kept in a cage, where it snacked on meat, dog and cat food, and fish to build up its weight.
Once at full strength, it was transferred to an outside aviary to re-waterproof its feathers, and eventually released back into the wild.
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