Scientists Believe That Googly Eyes Might Help Stop Seagulls From Stealing Your Chips.

Whitby is known for its tasty fish and chips, but we’re not the only ones who like them. Seagulls are big fans too!

There’s not much worse on a trip to Whitby than finally getting your fish and chips, only to have a daring seagull swoop in and snatch them as you walk by the harbour.

It’s almost a seaside tradition, but now experts think they might have found a solution. A new study suggests the answer could be something from your craft box: googly eyes.

A simple hack that might help you keep your fish and chips to yourself.

Researchers from the University of Exeter recently tried putting googly eyes on takeaway boxes to see if it would deter hungry gulls. It might sound silly, but the idea is based on animal behaviour.

Many animals are very sensitive to eye contact. Looking directly into a human's or another animal's eyes signals danger or a threat. So when gulls see a pair of “eyes” looking back, they might hesitate before trying to steal food.

The results from the experiment were surprisingly good.

Gulls approached more slowly, hesitated more often, and were generally less likely to peck at food that appeared to be “watching” them.

Not a foolproof plan… but still helpful, and one that can be easily implemented into the design of takeaway boxes.

Of course, seagulls don’t give up easily. The study found that while some birds were scared off by the googly eyes, others quickly caught on and kept trying to steal snacks. Whitby seagulls are known to be especially fearless, with behaviours learned over decades of human interaction.

So, this isn’t a guaranteed way to protect every chip. But if it helps you keep your lunch, it could be worth trying. We can just imagine opportunistic street sellers standing next to takeaway windows and selling packs of googly eyes to vulnerable tourists.

Want to save your £15 takeaway? Use googly eyes alongside these time-tested classic gull-defence tricks.

If you want to keep your seaside meal safe, use googly eyes as just one tool. Try them along with a few proven tactics, such as:

• Don’t leave your bags open or unattended.
• Sit near something that offers cover, like an umbrella or a wall
• Be prepared to shoo away any especially bold birds

A quick shout of “Oi!” can still be very effective.

Learn why you should never intentionally feed seagulls.

The verdict

It might sound like a joke, but this odd trick actually teaches us something interesting about animal behaviour and how we can sometimes outsmart them.

So next time you head to the coast for fish and chips and want a peaceful lunch, think about bringing some googly eyes with you.

At worst, you’ll just have a decorated takeaway box. At best, you’ll actually get to eat your chips.