Seagull Turns Orange After Accidental Swim in Tikka Masala

It turns out that fake tans and over consumption of beta-carotene aren't the only ways to turn your body orange—diving into a vat of tikka masala will also do the trick. At least if you're a seagull.

First We Feast recently shared a story about a seagull in Wales that got a little too close to an open vat of the creamy orange-colored sauce in a food factory in Wales. According to reports, the bird was scavenging for meat when it fell into the container and had to be rescued by workers, who took it to the nearby Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Gloucestershire.

"We had never seen anything like it before," veterinary nurse Lucy Kells told The Guardian, adding that the vat was outside when the bird—now nicknamed Gullfrazie—fell in. "The thing that shocked us the most was the smell. He smelled amazing, he really smelled good."

The staff at the hospital was able to remove the orange color from the bird's feathers using hand soap, but it did nothing to remove the strong curry scent. Since then, the staff has been feeding the underweight bird a diet of meat and fish as well as dog and cat foods to fatten him up. Soon, they plan to move him to an outside aviary and eventually release him back into the wild.

[h/t First We Feast]

Images via Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre on Facebook