Seagull stuck in Asda still there two weeks later

A seagull flew into an Asda supermarket in Bedminster, Bristol, and can still be seen hanging around the rafters two weeks later. 

The bird has been distracting shoppers, who’ve been looking up at the bird instead of at the shelves, as it flaps around the ceiling.

Asda called in a specialist team to help remove the sea bird from inside its store, and they along with staff have been trying to persuade it to fly to the exit, but have had no success.

After a fortnight of trying and failing, a local bird welfare group has offered to give it a go themselves.

The group fear the seagull may be struggling and want to help set it free into its natural habitat.

The gull wandered through the automatic doors of the huge supermarket — one of the country’s biggest — in early June and has since remained in the rafters, high above the aisles, getting a birds eye view of its daily shoppers.

The bird’s in-store presence caused a bit of a stir which circulated on social media on June 8th when customers tweeted about it and shared that they had seen it.

One person tweeted an image of it swooping through the baking aisle while another customer shared a picture of it perched in the rafters.

As soon as the bird arrived in the store Asda called in its deep cleaning and pest control team, which is where the fortnightly-long mission began. 

Every night when the store closes at 10pm, the doors are kept open and guarded while a team of people try to coax the bird down or catch it.

According to reports, trails of crisps and bread have been laid, cherry pickers have been deployed and staff with nets have been seen, all in a bid to coax the bird down.

But it has proved far too cunning to be caught. 

As it’s a large store with high ceilings, whenever anyone gets near it on the platform of a cherry picker or up a ladder, it flies off to a different area of the store.

The situation is a growing concern for a rescue organisation called the Foundation For Feathered Friends. 

Its founder Denise Theophilus said she has asked Asda if it would be ok for her team to have a go at getting it out as she’s worried the bird could die.

She said: “Gulls are actually protected by law and are on the red listed species for conversation. 

“The gull has found her way in by accident and rescuers are anxious to trap her and release her before she dies.

“There is a limited time that they can survive without food and water and she is scared by the alien noises.” 

A spokesperson for Asda said: “Our team at Asda Bedminster have attempted to safely remove the bird and to ensure that the store remains clean and tidy throughout. 

“Despite their best efforts, the seagull remains in store and we are now working with specialist contractors to remove the bird.”