There is a zoo in England that is very very tired of seagulls.
That's right, the seagulls are not part of any display.
They're not an interesting species to look at.
They're just around.
They're bothersome, as seagulls tend to do.
They're there just trying to steal a fruit roll up from a four year old.
So they have decided that they are going to create a seagull deterrent apparatus.
Very sort of futuristic,
innovative way to get seagulls to leave that zoo,
and that is hiring workers to dress like eagles, that's right.
Here's a photo, if we have that photo, we have eagle versus seagull.
So this is the deterrent, y'all.
Hiring people to dress up as eagles to scare the seagulls.
The Blackpool Zoo even posted a job opening for
the Seagull deterrent visitors services assistant position.
It's got a position title saying the seasonal gig requires, quote,
a friendly and outgoing applicant who should be comfortable wearing a bird
costume [LAUGH].
In the job listing, they write at Blackpool Zoo,
it goes without saying that we love all animals.
And as a seaside resort, Blackpool is not short of seagulls.
However, the seagulls are proving to be a bit of a nuisance when it comes to trying
to steal our food from visitors.
See, I knew it.
And our animal enclosures.
We need to do what we can to keep seagulls away from our main visitor dining areas,
which is why we are looking for
a team of people to join our visitors team as a seagull deterrent.
There's more.
I just wanna go to this little video clip of Jess Monks,
who works as said seagull deterrent.
She tells us how her days work, generally doing this job.
>> I'm here at the main cafe.
I'm going to guard the area so it's a well known seagull swooping zone.
They have to come here cuz they know when the times are busy swooping in,
getting the food, and I'm here to protect it.
[MUSIC]
>> [LAUGH] My God, you guys.
>> You have to have a bird brain if you believe those seagulls are running because
of that eagle suit.
You could just have on regular clothes and they would run.
>> That is true, if you just ran up and flapped your arm.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> You could save all that money you've
tied up in the suit.
Looks so realistic.
>> Look, they're creating jobs.
I'm not mad at this.
This sounds like a great job.
I feel like you have to be high to do this job also.
The whole time it'll be fun as hell.
But here I was thinking that she would do something special.
[LAUGH] She just runs in in shoes.
>> You don't think that running up in a bird suit is something special?
I think it was spectacular.
Look, this is how you start.
Francesca, you understand this show business takes on many different forms.
>> Yeah.
>> You start in the bird suit at the zoo, you might move up to a bigger zoo.
You know, what I mean?
>> [CROSSTALK] >> You move into mainstream,
Broadway is a heartbeat away kid or the West End in the case of [INAUDIBLE].
>> I couldn't help but notice how you were flapping those wings, kid.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> In that suit, I must know.
>> Listen, I just think this is Florida politics at play.
Let me explain what I'm saying.
>> [LAUGH] Okay?
>> A few years back, you remember when Scott was governor,
and his wife had a company that do drug tests.
And he started drug testing all the people that were getting services,
funding, needs, food, nutrition services, support people.
>> Of course.
>> Nobody failed the test basically, but
his wife made a bunch of money off these tests.
Somebody's wife company or husband's company makes bird suits.
>> [LAUGH] >> [CROSSTALK]
>> I love how you took it to this dark
place of, yeah, when Florida was drug testing people who were hungry.
And we're talking about this bright, amazing,
hilarious story in a little seaside town in England, man, our seaside towns suck.
Our seaside towns and politicians are just, no, you can't eat.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> I'm telling we need to investigate
this zoo.
>> It's about the money, exactly.
>> Follow the money.
This is some defense contractor, nuclear soup type thing, I'm telling you.
>> [LAUGH] >> But I'll tell you what, she's great,
and she's got a great attitude.
Fine employee.
And I thought she really nailed how they say she stuck the landing.
>> Okay, well, there's more.
I feel like there's a little bit of mockery in your tone, Mark.
But, the position is only seasonal if you wanted to apply,
the seagull scares are paid £8 or $10 an hour if they're 16 to 20 year olds,
and £10.8 or $13.50 if they're 21 or older.
That's still a little low.
The zoo says it accepts international applicants.
If you want to do a little work vacay, work study.
Though such employees would need to fund their own travel and living arrangements.
Yeah, you can sleep in the seagulls nest if you don't have a place to stay.
>> If you lose the head of the suit.
It's actually kind of a fun gig for a summer and you write a magazine article or
something about it.
It really is kinda funny.
It's a great.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> As bizarre as it is,
it actually makes it almost desirable.
>> Yeah.
>> You would think they would be paying livable wage, right?
You're over here, but we're missing the real story here.
I think the seagulls are on a mission to break their cousins out of the zoo.
This is a family issue here.
>> Yeah.
Okay, first of all, I just wanna say seagulls are annoying as hell.
I'm gonna say, I don't know, I almost prefer pigeons.
Almost prefer pigeons to seagulls.
Mondale has given me wide eyes.
>> Wow.
>> But seagulls are feisty, all right?
They will.
I had an ice cream cone once.
A seagull straight lifted a scoop off of it, lifted a scoop and flew away.
Why is this term coming to me?
But seagulls are gully to say they're.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> They are gully,
I don't know if that word gully comes from seagulls.
I'm like, this is my old, like, 50 cent brain from when I used to listen to him.
But anyway, they are.
And by the way, Mark is right, this is a fun job.
And in fact, because of coverage, the coverage we're giving right now.
Blackpool Zoo's publicity agency told insider the position has broken
the internet, leading to over 200 applicants and still counting worldwide.
Now, Jess, however,
has some wisdom to share about her role as the seagull deterrent.
>> So what makes a good seagull scarer, Jess?
>> So you have to be very outgoing.
You have to be confident in the costume, walking around in it.
Speak to customers and visitors.
Sometimes they'll ask for photos as well.
You have to feel confident taking photos with them.
And she needs to be a very good flapper.
>> Now, I'm not sold you guys.
>> She's a Disney character, is what she is, yeah.
>> She's not going to Broadway.
>> [CROSSTALK]
>> You're right.
Next, right.
>> Yeah, no, we love for effort.
We love what you were giving us, but gonna have to pass.
No, how do you scarcity goes away?
That's my question.
How do you?
>> Running up at all is gonna scare them?
As Mondale was saying, you don't need the outfit just running up.
But that's an impossible job.
They just go to the next table and you run up after, then they go the next time.
Let's be honest.
I think this is to make that person who shoes goals away more palatable for
everyone else who has to be, can you just imagine someone in a suit or
like a normal person doing that?
They look crazy.
But you have to then just add.
>> You're right. >> You what I mean?
>> Yeah, you need to be deputized in some sort of way that everybody can see.
Like I'm an official.
>> Yeah, exactly.
>> I'm a sure.
>> I'm a sure, exactly. >> I'm a sure.
What about a net?
We could do a net or a lot of wind to get a wind turbine there.
Although you couldn't sit outside because it would be too windy [LAUGH].
>> They've had all these thoughts at the brainstorming session.
They came up with the person in a suit solution.
>> There was no brainstorming session.
>> [LAUGH] >> It was just this guy, his partner.
He had to sell these bird suits because they didn't use them on
the Broadway plate.
>> [LAUGH] >> That's right.
Follow the money.
>> Guys, blackpool looks beautiful, though.
145,000 people.
The landmark is a tower, a blackpool tower house.
It houses a circus, a glass viewing platform and the tower ballroom.
What's not to love, other than crappy weather?
It's a beach seaside in England.
>> It's cold as hell.
Are you kidding?
It's absolutely cold as hell.