“Oh, He Likes Those”: Tesco’s Staff Have Given Up Trying To Stop Steven The Seagull From Stealing Any More Crisps

Some people believe that their spirit animals are wolves, owls, whales, or others, guiding and protecting them on their life’s journey and sharing certain characteristics with them. I, however, very much relate to the chaotically glorious creature – the seagull!

These delightful birds have proven time and time again that a portal to the nether exists and that’s exactly where they come from, having no sense of chill. Especially when it comes to law and order. Play the tune! Multiple instances have been recorded of seagulls stealing from shops and today I bring you one that is absolutely hilarious.

As always, make sure to comment your thoughts, tell me what’s your spirit animal, and leave a compliment. Why the heck not? If seagulls can steal, we can be nice to each other. Upvote, follow, do all that fun jazz, now let’s get into it!

More info: YouTube

Steven the Seagull has been causing havoc in a local Tesco Extra store in Devon, UK, nabbing tiny packets of sweet sustenance

Steven the Seagull (not to be confused with Steven Seagal) has been spotted entering a local Tesco Extra in Paignton, Devon, UK, and stealing a packet of Mini Cheddars. The bird has been excelling at his criminal career for quite some time now, as this hasn’t been the first time it’s happened. From sandwiches to savory snacks – nothing is safe when Steven’s beak is near.

Although you’d never attribute any sort of sense or sensibility to a seagull, this one takes it another step further. Having nabbed around £300 worth of goods from the local shop, he’s become a regular dose of entertainment for the staff, who said that the bird loves his Monster Munch and Tangy Cheese Doritos.

The bird has been a common guest at the store, the staff and shoppers very much aware of the burglaries

Image credits: kerricoo1991 (not the actual photo)

Liam Brown, a worker at the Tesco, managed to capture the thieving seagull on video. He told LADbible, “I’ve seen him go in a few times. This time he hopped on to my car bonnet so I started recording – I knew he was up to something. He jumped down and started chewing gum off the floor, then he walked into the shop and ran off with a pack of Mini Cheddars.”

One shopper explained that she’d also seen Steven flying off with a bag of Doritos before sharing the loot with a friend on the roof. Sounds like a very special moment. “I told the cashier he’d just strutted off with some Doritos and she said, ‘Oh, he likes those’,” she said.

“It happens at least once a day, often three times,” Liam explained to Metro. “We have to shoo him away because we don’t want to lose the stock. We’re always keeping an eye out.”

Despite their best efforts, burglaries have become a common occurrence. The staff believe it to be the same seagull, amounting to an impressive estimate of 17kg of food being taken by the bird. Although his diet could be considered quite unhealthy, Steven gets his steps in by stomping in and out of the shop.

It is estimated that the bird has nabbed around £300 worth of goods, adding up to an impressive 17kg of food

Image credits: kerricoo1991 (not the actual photo)

Seagulls have been caught red-beaked time and time again, yet these tiny thefts aren’t hurting anyone, really

Image credits: kerricoo1991 (not the actual photo)

Zach Hutchinson, the lead ornithologist at Flocking Around – an organization that approaches loving birds through laughter first, learning second – told Bored Panda that “the intelligence, volume, size, and density of gull flocks may lead to some viewing the gull as a nuisance.”

When sixty large, white, loud gulls gather to screech the song of their people, leaving a freshly fallen snow of poop, let alone their nabbing habits, it doesn’t really sit well with people. “Also, many gulls are dumpster divers! And often, we view this behavior as unsavory, even when they might be an effective rubbish recycler,” Zach explained.

Though a wee bit annoying, they are an important and “natural part of our world, and even if it’s hard to see upon quick glance, gulls offer a variety of ecosystem services that keep our world turning in the safest manner.”

Besides, as seen in this story, they’re not causing too much harm are they? Well… there have been instances where seagulls have caused quite a bit of trouble.

Sometimes the seagulls seem to lose the one brain cell between those lifeless eyes, going after dogs instead of snack packets

Image credits: Shannen Leong (not the actual photo)

A notorious story came a few years ago where, as reported by The Guardian, a seagull carried away a chihuahua as he was resting in his owner’s garden in Devon.

Becca Hill, 24, appealed for information about four-year-old Gizmo, who was suddenly grabbed and taken away and it seems that the pup met an untimely end.

Dunno about you, but I think Devon needs to get its seagulls in order…

However, Zach reassures us that this is highly unlikely to become a common occurrence. He states: “Fear should never be involved when wildlife inhabit areas developed by humans. Instead, we should respect and enjoy the shared space.”

“The larger threat is the off-leash pet that can catch and harm wildlife. Keeping pets on leashes protects wildlife, and in the rare case of predation, can save your pets life.”

The birds are incredibly skilled and have strong survival instincts, ignoring potential danger to get what they want

Image credits: Ben Dickson (dbr) (not the actual photo)

According to Seagulls Are Not Evil, if a seagull becomes aggressive, it has a good reason to do so. “It is usually to protect their young or their nests, so if a seagull is ‘dive-bombing’ you, you are probably too close to her chicks.”

“She doesn’t want to kill you, she just wants you to go away because she feels threatened by you.” Fair enough, but why the aggression when I’m just trying to enjoy breakfast in peace?

Unexpectedly, gulls are not the only (or the best) “french-fry filchers!” Zach explains that crows, ravens, House Sparrows, and pigeons “are likely much more effective at sneaking an appetizer off your plate before you notice! This can differ depending on where in the world you reside, but gulls typically gain boldness at stealing human food when fed by humans.”

Image credits: Rob Marquardt (not the actual photo)

Further research has concluded that seagulls are more likely to pick up food that humans have handled or have been close to. Madeleine Goumas at the University of Exeter, UK, explained that the idea for her research came from observing how seagulls acted around humans. “Are they just looking for food, or are they noticing what people are doing and picking up on their cues?” she says.

“The findings suggest that herring gulls have learned that handled food is likely to be a good resource. Given how quickly they may be disturbed when feeding in an urban setting, this is a smart strategy!” said Mark Fellowes at the University of Reading, UK.

Zach explains that the problem arises “when the gulls do not realize that not all humans want to offer a snack!” So, the best we can do to coexist with these marvelous birds is “to stop feeding and attracting gulls with improper food sources.”

“Close rubbish bins, clean up fallen food, do not provide a fried offering, and keep an eye on unattended food.”

If seagulls are ruining your life or your breakfast, just remember – you’re bigger than them and have legs to walk away to a more peaceful location

Image credits: Bev Sykes (not the actual photo)

But what are you supposed to do if one cheeky gull is after your hard-earned snack? As stated by The Seagulls Collective, the best thing to do is to keep food out of sight and if you can’t avoid having food visible (like ice cream), keep it close to your body and scare the birds away with your other arm.

Remember, you are much bigger than a seagull, and if you move towards them, they will be scared. You can also leave the area where they are, as it is very unlikely they will chase you. In any case, try not to panic. Since they are targeting your food and not you, in the worst case scenario, you will lose your food to them.

Seagulls have not only entertained us, but have also inspired artistic renditions of their chaotic nature

Image credits: simpleseagullcomics (not the actual photo)

An artist, named Nicholas, who can be found on Instagram as Simple Seagull agreed to tell Bored Panda a little about his fun creations. The creator stated that his love for cartoons and graphic novels lead him to starting his own little projects and, as they frequented New Smyrna Beach, Florida, he was fascinated by the seagull.

“I chose the seagull because it’s the easiest bird to recognize,” he said. “And the perfect bridge for people to use and immerse themselves into the wonderfully simple, yet weird world of seabirds and their day to day activities.”

He believes that the commonality of seagulls, as well as their lack of class. “Their short, awkward and kind of bland appearance doesn’t give them any sort of respectable presence either, as there are far more prettier birds out there. Let’s just say, when you go bird watching, you typically don’t look out for seagulls.”

The affectionately named “Rats with Wings” are a part of the environment, much like any other avian species in the animal kingdom. Nicholas believes that “as long as we use safe methods to deal with seagulls, if they’re causing issues, then we’re already doing a lot to live together with them in a constructive manner.”

Image credits: simpleseagullcomics (not the actual photo)

Nicholas writes very sweetly about these chaotic little beings, stating: “I like to think that seagulls are the avian kingdom’s greatest opportunists. Think about it, they travel all over the place and sustain themselves on whatever they can find. It’s a lifestyle that is very endearing in a way, seeing how they can adapt to a variety of different situations.”

“The key to appreciating the seagull – or any animal for that matter – comes from realizing that you aren’t exactly all that different from them. Sure, they cause a ruckus from time to time, but so do human beings.”

“It’s a part of our nature to be messy and make mistakes. So instead of having an attitude of annoyance, maybe it would be less of a headache to marvel and chuckle at the bumbling attempts the bird makes to get by as a way to bring people together. Treating our fellow birds as feathered friends rather than feathered fiends.”

“And of course, if problems arise, we can use safe methods to solve them. Sure, it may take a little patience and a bit of tolerance, but those are the traits we need in our world to make it better for all of us.”

These cheeky birds continue to entertain and instill fear into many of us, but we can’t wait to see more of Steven Seagull!

Image credits: Andrew Russell (not the actual photo)

Whether you agree or disagree, seagulls are Satan’s intelligent playthings, exhibiting many traits that we value in humans. They are capable of doing anything they need to survive and thrive and the resulting chaos is hilarious to observe. Mother Nature earns an A+ there.

I can’t wait to read all your comments on this story as it’s been an incredibly fun one to write. Until we see each other again, dear reader, I wish you a fun day!

People’s comments have me heaving for breath, as I can’t stop laughing. Leave your own jokes and thoughts below!

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