Nanaimo Firefighters Rescue Trapped Gull From Tight Spot

When a baby gull wedged itself deep between two downtown buildings in Nanaimo, British Columbia, firefighters knew exactly what to do: grab the same snare pole they use for aggressive dogs.

The young bird, affectionately known as the Commercial Street gull by locals, had gotten stuck in the narrow space between Red's Bakery and Sukkho Thai Restaurant on September 1. A concerned bystander called Nanaimo Fire Rescue when it became clear the gull couldn't free itself.

Assistant Fire Chief John MacKenzie said the rescue team found the bird deep in the crevice. Using a snare pole typically reserved for difficult dog rescues, they carefully secured the gull and pulled it to safety.

"It had obviously been stuck in there for awhile," MacKenzie said. The bird showed no signs of injury and was released immediately after the rescue.

Red's Bakery employee Janine Morton said the gull has become a familiar face around Commercial Street over the summer. "We've been keeping an eye on it because it appears to be really slow, and he often just walks down the middle of Commercial Street and cars have to stop to make way for it," she said.

The bird has had a rough start to life. Morton recalled one incident when it climbed onto the Vancouver Island Regional Library roof and came down hard.

Sunny's Take

This isn't Nanaimo Fire Rescue's first gull rescue. A few years ago, they saved another gull that got its webbed foot caught in a parking lot. One crew member has now officially saved two gulls, earning an unofficial title as the department's gull whisperer.

MacKenzie says animal rescues are just part of the job. "If an animal needs rescuing, we'll attend and help if we can," he said. Over the years, the team has pulled dogs from pipes, saved cats from fires, and even helped bear cubs out of trees.

For the Commercial Street gull, this rescue might just be another chapter in what locals hope will be a long life of stopping traffic and keeping an entire downtown neighborhood entertained.