If you ever had an encounter with a seagull, you might know that these mischievous birds are famed for being expert thieves skilled enough to glide in and steal tasty treats from your hands with ease. But the thing is, seagulls can't differentiate between a rolled joint and food items before stealing it from human grips. As a result, the birds residing in some of the coastal towns in the United Kingdom are apparently getting high from the effects of a drug called "spice" after they keep stealing it from people who smoke them.

According to Daily Star, a former spice user named Kevin Robertson who resides in Hastings told the outlet about the notorious behavior of the seagulls. “Gulls will go for anything. They used to come up behind us and grab whatever we had. If we were stoned and completely out of it, the gulls could just take the joint we were smoking and fly off." The slang "spice" is used to describe a type of synthetic marijuana that is meant to mimic THC, a psychoactive constituent of cannabis, as reported by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

People have complained about the stealthy seagulls who are allegedly terrorizing several resorts located in Hastings, East Sussex, Margate, Kent and Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, per the outlet. Cities like London, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool are also reportedly dealing with these seagulls who are acting crazy after getting high on "spice." Some people have claimed that the birds have stolen the joints right out of their hands and it's possibly making the seagulls act a bit "psychotic."

“A seagull and spice is not a good combo,” Azad, who is another former user of the drug from Leeds, said, according to the outlet. “It turns them into psycho gulls.” The birds have been "dive-bombing pedestrians" in the UK to steal their bags of spice and then collapsing on the street, probably after getting unintentionally stoned. The "spice" is more potent than regular cannabis and can lead to elevated heart rate and blood pressure when inhaled to ingested, reports New York Post. In other instances, it can also cause seizures, tremors, hallucinations, anxiety and more.

The lab-grown drug has reportedly affected animals overseas as well. In 2022, a report from the University of Guelph in Ontario showed that dogs were the most common victims of THC poisoning in pets, per the outlet. We can only hope for these birds to stop stealing the wrong stuff from people which can turn them into a greater nightmare than they already are.