Overview

• Lesley Wright was walking to a neighbour’s home in Moray, Scotland, on August 17 when a gull swooped down and struck the back of her head, leaving her bleeding.
• She was treated at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin where medics glued the wound, and she now has a scar and a temporarily hairless patch that is regrowing.
• Wright says the attack has left her anxious around gulls and questioning why they remain protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
• The RSPCA warns that swooping is usually a defensive response to protect chicks and recommends management through care and understanding rather than harm.
• Recent violent incidents against gulls, including one kicked to death in Barmouth, have prompted RSPCA appeals for witnesses and highlighted legal risks of retaliatory attacks.