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\n\t\tBerwickshire Marine Reserve created the unique position (Picture: SWNS)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tBerwickshire Marine Reserve created the unique position (Picture: SWNS)<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s first \u2018gull ranger\u2019 is on a mission to improve relations between humans and seagulls, claiming the birds are \u2018intelligent and pretty harmless\u2019.<\/p>\n
Patrick Safford, 24, took to the streets in the Scottish Borders town of Eyemouth in June to raise awareness for his cause.<\/p>\n
After several attacks from seagulls in the area, the charity<\/a> Berwickshire Marine Reserve decided to create the unique role.<\/p>\n The brief is to \u2018re-establish a balanced relationship between humans and gulls through education and engagement\u2019.<\/p>\n Patrick\u2019s responsibility will be to \u2018engage with people and visitors about gulls \u2013 the importance of not feeding them, how to behave to avoid conflict and conservation issues\u2019.<\/p>\n Patrick, a former ecological consultant and keen birdwatcher, now has the job of educating the public on how to avoid gull attacks and tracking the seagull population.<\/p>\n \t\t He believes seagulls get an unfairly negative reputation, stating: \u2018They\u2019re really interesting, because they\u2019re really intelligent and adaptable.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve been interested in gulls for a long time, and it\u2019s always frustrated me that the minority of them that get into conflict with people can get them a lot of hate.<\/p>\n \u2018I wanted to get involved and see what I could do about it.\u2019<\/p>\n So far, Patrick has worked on opening a marine education centre and surveyed locals to find out where gulls nest, where gull attacks are a problem, and how people react.<\/p>\n He has criticised deterrents like fake predators, netting, and spikes, believing them to be ineffective due to seagulls\u2019 adaptable natures.<\/p>\n \u2018Deterrents are often ineffective,\u2019 he said. \u2018Gulls adapt to them. You\u2019ll often see around Eyemouth a deterrent, with gull chicks nesting next to it anyway.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t\tFollow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Metro\u2019s on Whatsapp! Join our community<\/a> for breaking news and juicy stories.<\/p>\n \u2018The fake predators, it takes them a short amount of time to realise they\u2019re not a threat to them, and spikes are a bit more effective, but they\u2019re very expensive.\u2019<\/p>\n The job is funded by Flora and Fauna International and is running until August.<\/p>\n Patrick believes coexisting peacefully with gulls is all about education \u2013 and says it is only a minority of gulls that are brave enough to swoop.<\/p>\n \u2018I think only around 25% of gulls are bold enough to steal food,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n \u2018The same with adults swooping to protect chicks, again, it seems to be a minority, and they\u2019re the ones that make the headlines.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Then people who haven\u2019t lived with them think they\u2019re all like that and get nervous and scared of them, and the word spreads the wrong way. A few of them can cause conflict, but there are steps we can take to minimise that conflict.\u2019<\/p>\n Patrick says to avoid gulls stealing food, locals should sit next to walls or awnings to break their flight paths.<\/p>\n He also urges residents to avoid littering and not to put rubbish in overfilled bins.<\/p>\n To avoid attacks from gulls protecting chicks, he says to give the chicks space, as they only take six weeks to mature.<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this, check our news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Britian's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305150816-7f0a.jpg\")
\n\t\tPatrick says gulls are intelligent and adaptable (Picture: SWNS)<\/p>\n![\"Britian's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305150918-9ea4.jpg\")
\n\t\tPatrick said the initiative is a matter of education (Picture: SWNS)<\/p>\n![\"Apps](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-1632181964-e1700130460337.jpg\")
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\n\t\tGulls can be peaceful and often mind their business (Picture: SWNS)<\/p>\n
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