Seagulls in Rome are going “back to being predators” after the closure of cafes, restaurants and shops have left them without any scraps to feed on.
The streets of Rome, usually buzzing with tourists, have been empty for the last two months since Italy went into lockdown on March 9.
This has meant seagulls have had to change their routine and feed on rats, pigeons and other smaller birds “Animals are changing their habits as we change ours”, said zoologist Bruno Cignini.
Mr Cignini, who works at Rome University Tor Vergata, told local newspaper Corriere della Sera: “They are catching mostly pigeons but also swallows and black birds. “They’re also going after fish in the Tiber.