Maintenance Worker Accused of Driving Gull Chicks to Their Deaths in Järvenpää
A maintenance worker in Järvenpää is under investigation after allegedly driving three protected black-headed gull chicks to their deaths from the roof of an apartment building. The incident, witnessed by local resident Auli Leivonen, has sparked outrage and led to a police report.
Leivonen, who observed the events from her home across the street, told Iltalehti that the maintenance worker ignored the distressed gulls circling above him as he moved across the roof. She described how the worker deliberately approached one chick, forcing it to jump off the edge. The chick, unable to fly, fell onto the asphalt and died shortly afterward. Leivonen later found a second dead chick on the opposite side of the building, while a third remained missing.
Ilta-Sanomat reports that Leivonen confronted the worker after he descended from the roof. According to her account, the worker dismissed the incident, claiming he was unaware that the nesting season extended this late. She described his attitude as indifferent, despite the visible distress of the adult gulls. Leivonen filed a police report, though the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department noted that the case may not appear in their system until Monday.
The maintenance company has denied any wrongdoing. Its CEO told Iltalehti that the incident was being investigated internally and suggested the chicks may have already been dead before the worker arrived. In a statement to Ilta-Sanomat, the company claimed the employee was cleaning roof drains and only noticed the chicks when one fled the roof as he approached. The statement asserted that the worker never made physical contact with the birds and that two dead chicks found in the courtyard appeared to have been deceased prior to his arrival.
The black-headed gull is a protected species under Finnish law. The Nature Conservation Act prohibits the intentional killing, harming, or disturbance of protected animals, particularly during nesting season. Violations can result in fines or convictions for nature conservation violations, with an indicative value of 203 euros per black-headed gull killed. The Animal Welfare Act also prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to animals, with potential penalties including fines or imprisonment for up to two years.
Leivonen expressed frustration over what she perceives as widespread indifference toward wildlife, telling Ilta-Sanomat that the incident left her in tears. The maintenance company has stated it will cooperate with authorities if the matter is formally investigated.