Why you should be IMPRESSED when seagulls steal your chips: Scientists claim ... trends now
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Nothing ruins a relaxing trip to the seaside quite like a seagull swooping in and stealing your chips.
But instead of getting angry, you should be impressed by seagulls' crafty tactics.
That's according to scientists from the University of Sussex, who claim that the birds should be seen as 'charismatic' and not 'criminal'.
'When we see behaviours we think of as mischievous or criminal - almost, we're seeing a really clever bird implementing very intelligent behaviour,' Professor Paul Graham, Professor of Neuroethology at the University of Sussex told the BBC.
'I think we need to learn how to live with them.'
Nothing ruins a relaxing trip to the seaside quite like a seagull swooping in and stealing your chips. But instead of getting angry, you should be impressed by seagulls' crafty tactics
Professor Graham explains how seagulls are being forced into urban areas by the loss of their natural spaces.
From bird flu to depleted fish stocks, the gulls have been hit my multiple pressures in the wild.
However, in busy cities, the birds face new challenges, having been forced to adapt