Aggressive seagulls attacking staff at Amsterdam hospitals

The Amsterdam UMC has warned its employees to be careful of aggressive seagulls at both of its locations. The animals are protecting their nests and have attacked several hospital employees, NU.nl reports.

“The seagulls have targeted unsuspecting employees” at both the AMC and VUmc locations, the hospital said. Most attacks have happened at the AMC on the walking route along the psychiatric building.

NU.nl spoke to a hospital worker who got attacked by a seagull in the parking lot next to the psychiatric building at AMC. “A seagull had made a nest between the rows of cars. It was terrible. Today, I put my bike on the other side of the building because I didn’t dare to park there.”

The incidents have become so common that the hospital decided to issue an official warning. “We thought it was only fair to point this out to our colleagues,” a spokesperson for the Amsterdam UMC told NU.nl.

The hospital has asked a falconer for advice. “He said that it is best to stay calm and wave something above your head,” the spokesperson said. Amsterdam UMC advised its employees to wave around the keycord to which their employee pass is attached. “The seagulls don’t like that and won’t come lower than the height at which you wave.”

Seagulls have been causing more problems in the Netherlands’ urban areas in recent years. Because the birds are a protected species, little can be done about it.