Clinical and Radiological Evaluation of Foreign Body Injuries in Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): A Retrospective Study (2023–2026)

Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis), which exhibit opportunistic feeding behavior, face a high global risk of interacting with anthropogenic waste originating from urban and fishing activities. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate in detail the aetiology, clinical findings, and treatment processes associated with foreign body ingestion and/or entanglement in Yellow-legged gulls (n=12) presenting to the clinic for flightlessness between 2023 and 2026. Following physical and radiological examinations of the gulls (6 juveniles, 3 immatures, and 3 adults), the treatments included conservative wound care, local interventions under sedation, and endoscopic extractions under general anaesthesia. It was determined that 11 of the 12 extracted foreign bodies were recreational fishing waste; one was a large biological specimen (a furcula bone). Cases presented with external entanglement(n=5), deep tissue penetration (n=4), and gastrointestinal obstruction due to ingestion (n=3). Notably, young gulls (75%) were exposed to anthropogenic waste at a much higher rate. Clinical evaluation revealed that fishing lines entangled around the legs caused ischemic necrosis, which could progress to amputation, and the ingestion of hooked or leaded lines led to mortality from severe ulcerative necrosis of the proventricular mucosa. Although clinical interventions achieved a 75% (n=9) survival and release rate in our cases, gull interactions with fishing waste were confirmed as severe causes of mortality, leading to loss of extremities and internal organ perforations. These findings demonstrate that management strategies are required both to mitigate the adverse effects of marine pollution and anthropogenic factors on gulls and to develop wildlife conservation policies.