Seagull Skyrockets to Fame After Hilarious Photobomb on Traffic Cam Mid-Broadcast
When the website 500px interviewed nature photographer Marsel van Oosten, it wanted to know about one thing: his iconic image of a Japanese monkey soaking in a hot spring while staring at an iPhone. He explained how the macaque had stolen the phone from a nearby tourist.
It had then jumped in the water and started to play with its newfound toy in an eerily familiar fashion. Not only did the humorous exchange secure an award-winning image for van Oosten, but it also highlighted how animals love cameras and screens nearly as much as people do.
That doesn’t only apply to primates either. According to KCNC, reporter Morgan Saxton was commenting on flooding that had occurred in the Denver area in early October 2018. Suddenly, a large creature that looked a lot like a mountain lion sauntered in front of the cameraman.
Authorities later concluded it was a large dog, but that wasn’t what was on Saxton’s mind at the time. Instead, she kept her cool as it brushed right by her during the middle of her live shot, seemingly drawn by the camera equipment and lights.
UPI reported that employees of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency experienced a similar shock in February 2018. The government entity uses an extensive network of cameras to inspect roads, bridges and other similar pieces of infrastructure.
One evening, they noticed that something had blocked one of their cameras. An employee panned this way and that, searching for the trouble.
Well, when the individual located it, the problem stared right back into the viewfinder. It was an owl and a very curious one at that!
The feathered interloper peered wide eyed into the lens. It was apparently trying to discover what had caused the contraption to move.
A seagull in London did that owl one better, though. According to CBS News, the oh-so-serious-looking seabird found itself a perch in front of a stretch of British highway.
What’s more, it landed directly in front of a traffic camera. Then it fixed the lens with its best newscaster glare.
Honestly, just watch the video to see for yourself. Anderson Cooper, you may have someone angling for your seat.
Due to popular demand, a quick update from our reporter just north of the Blackwall Tunnel….. pic.twitter.com/NxKVMqGca3
— TfL Traffic News (@TfLTrafficNews) April 30, 2019
In the video, the seagull looks straight at the camera with deadly seriousness. Then it clacks its beak in a mimicry of speech.
Finally, it tilts its head toward the camera as if trying to make an important point. The real gag is that the seagull didn’t pull this stunt a single time.
TfL Traffic News, which posts Twitter updates so that Brits can know the conditions of the roads, highlighted the bird multiple times.
At one point, it captioned the video, saying, “Due to popular demand, a quick update from our reporter just north of the Blackwall Tunnel …” Professional journalists also got in on the gag.
Putting words in the avian expert’s mouth, journalist Paul Bradbury wrote, “Well, Dave, as you can see it’s starting to busy up here. Best to wing it on an alternative route if you can.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
