Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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ROME — Because of COVID-19, many difficult things are happening to all of us in many different aspects of life.
As we try and cope with the ups and downs, it may not occur to us that other creatures are affected by quarantine, business shutdowns, and a deep drop in tourism.
You may remember these monkeys clambering for food in the streets of Thailand, suffering through the effects of a lack of people in the streets. So now let’s visit the streets of Rome to see how seagulls are handling the situation.
According to The Independent, seagulls rely on scraps they find in the street left by diners at outdoor cafes and people walking in the street. Without their main source of food, these seagulls have necessarily changed their diets.
No, they are not being fed by concerned citizens or flying to nature to glean nuts in the hedgerow. They are eating rats and pigeons. And to make matters feel even more icky, they are eating them WHOLE.
In this video, you’ll see a seagull nonchalantly swallowing a rat whole. Whole. WHOLE. It is entirely fascinating, and it’s entirely horrifying. Yet, you cannot look away, and you may even find yourself hitting "replay" more than once.
Sorry to ruin your day, but also not ruin your day, because you’ll find it hard to not share this with all your friends and relations to discuss the horror.
Yesterday's Have You Seen This?
Have You Seen This? Man brilliantly risks life and limb on treadmill for science
Science is awesome, and this video highlights the kind of science I find both fascinating and accessible.
