Seagulls in Southgate (Credit: WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com)
SOUTHGATE, Mich. (WJBK) -
It's something you really do have to see with your own eyes. The video does it no justice. You can hear the squawking from miles away. It really is like something out of a movie.
Only Alfred Hitchcock himself could've images a site like this, the invasion of hundreds and hundreds of birds, this time in real life taking over Southgate, Michigan.
"Went into White Castle's about midnight and I could hear them screeching and hollering all the way across the street," said Southgate resident Roger Kruzman.
"I looked over and I swear there were over a thousand seagulls, I mean easily over a thousand. Could not believe what I was seeing," said Kim Galea, who lives in Southgate.
"It's getting worse, and I don't understand what the draw is. There's no food. There's nothing there for them, but I mean they just took up a residence and that's it," said Southgate resident Linda Paul.
Since March, the city has tried everything to move them out from blow horns to bulldozers.
"It's not working. They keep coming back," Galea said.
Then Thursday the unthinkable, Southgate was granted a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use lethal force and shoot the birds down. In military formation dressed in fatigues and carrying assault rifles, Southgate Police carried out their orders -- shoot to kill.
"Obviously, there would be some people that would disagree that this is inhumane, but we have very qualified shooters that are actually shooting the birds," said Public Safety Director Tom Coombs.
"It'd be nice to get rid of them, but I don't know that that's necessarily the right solution," said Galea.
Police say Southgate residents were never in any danger. Thursday they killed at least 200 birds.
Tuesday, March 12 2013 4:33 PM EDT2013-03-12 20:33:13 GMT
The 75-year-old grandmother charged with open murder in the shooting death of her own grandson could take the stand any day in her own defense, but Tuesday belonged to the prosecution.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:21 PM EDT2013-06-20 01:21:00 GMT
Dequindre-Emery Playlot had become grossly overgrown. George Bearid said enough is enough and began mowing on Sunday. Now several neighbors have joined the effort to clean up the park.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 11:40 AM EDT2013-06-19 15:40:48 GMT
Nearly a hundred years ago, two girls from Detroit put a message in a bottle and threw it into the waters of the St. Clair River. Now that message is back on dry land after being found by a diver in 30 feet of water.
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Monday, June 17 2013 6:45 PM EDT2013-06-17 22:45:07 GMT
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 11:26 PM EDT2013-06-20 03:26:37 GMT
Mitchell Young's trial got underway on Wednesday. He is accused in the murder of Robert Cipriano and the beatings of Robert's wife, Rose, and son, Sal.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:52 PM EDT2013-06-20 01:52:15 GMT
The Detroit Red Wings and city officials on Wednesday announced a $650 million plan for a new arena development for the NHL team in Detroit's downtown entertainment and sports district.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:39 PM EDT2013-06-20 01:39:53 GMT
The state's school superintendent and treasurer could dissolve a deficit-ridden district and send the students to nearby schools under legislation narrowly approved Wednesday by a divided Michigan Senate.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:33 PM EDT2013-06-20 01:33:24 GMT
Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday cut short his trade trip to Israel to return home and lobby reluctant fellow Republicans to expand Medicaid to more Michigan adults...
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:21 PM EDT2013-06-20 01:21:00 GMT
Dequindre-Emery Playlot had become grossly overgrown. George Bearid said enough is enough and began mowing on Sunday. Now several neighbors have joined the effort to clean up the park.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 8:03 PM EDT2013-06-20 00:03:28 GMT
"I don't blame the clerk," Mike Duggan said as he ended his mayoral bid. Two courts ruled he cannot be on the ballot because he had not lived in Detroit for a year when he filed.
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Seagulls in Southgate (Credit: WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com)
