Dozens of seagulls fell into vat of cooking oil, but don’t worry, their goose wasn’t cooked

Local seagulls were feeling a bit under the feather until they received care from a local wildlife center. 

Twenty four seagulls were rescued from a truck carrying used cooking oil in Weymouth Friday, according to a post on the New England Wildlife Center’s Facebook page.

The birds were taken into the wildlife center by Grafton Animal Control. The officer was able to capture most of the birds that were trapped in the oil, according to the center.

These birds were allegedly attracted to the smell of fried food and couldn’t escape the truck after the oil coated their feathers, according to the post.

The condition of the birds varied from a mild coat of oil to critically injured, according to the center.

“Washing an oiled bird is an extremely labor intensive process and it can take up to an hour to wash each bird,” read a portion of the post. 

A later update to the story on the organization’s Facebook page indicated another 14 gulls were found, increasing the total to 38 birds affected by this single truck. This second batch of birds was found by Westborough Animal Control and Raptor Tales Rescue of Shrewsbury. 

Although some birds were in too severe a condition to be saved, the wildlife center said the birds had all been assessed and medicated. 

“There is a lot more work to be done, and we will likely never get the smell of French fries out of the clinics, but we will do everything we can to give these gulls a fighting chance,” the post read. 

The center is asking for donations from the public to help support the cost of extra fish, dish soap, and medications.

Anyone interested in making a donation can do so here.