Tik Tok video of seagull 'vaping' in Dorchester goes viral

Filmed in the Trinity Street Car Park in Dorchester, the video depicts a seagull on top of a car holding a disposable vape in its mouth.

The video, uploaded to the social media platform Tik Tok by a user under the name of Milosaur4 on Monday has, at the time of writing more than 193,000 likes, whilst also having been shared more than 12,000 times from Tik Tok.

The caption on the video joked: “You know you’re in a rough area when even the seagulls are vaping.”

Portraying this ‘rough’ image further, the original poster added the music of Gangsta’s Paradise by rapper Coolio to the backdrop of the video.

Milosaur4, from Gillingham in north Dorset recorded the video whilst in Dorchester for the day.

Bemused by the bird’s antics, they said: “It was quite funny but sad at the same time as it looked as though he was definitely trying to use it.”

@milosaur4 Rough round this way #seagull #being #bad ♬ Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio

The video raises the question of disposable, one use vapes and how the environment treats the waste products.

Litter Free Dorset recently launched a Single Use Vape Campaign following the announcement of new legislation from January 29, that disposable vapes will be banned in the UK.

The campaign outlines how to dispose of vapes in a responsible way after it was found that 65 million single use vapes are thrown away in the UK every year.

A spokesperson for Litter Free Dorset said: “When you dispose of a vape, that just means it’s gone somewhere else- it hasn’t magically disappeared.

“So, let's stop calling them disposable and say what they really are, single use.

“Manufacturing single use vapes consumes precious natural resources and energy’ they are also incredibly difficult and expensive to recycle, so when you throw one away, the likelihood is that it will either be incinerated, go to a landfill, or be left to pollute our streets, seas, and green spaces for years to come.

“Thankfully, there is a reusable option, and we urge vapers and retailers to make the switch to reusable today,” they added.

RSPCA Senior Scientific Officer Evangeline Button said: “As this shocking video suggests, carelessly discarded used vapes seems to be a growing trend, and that’s a real concern as litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today. 

“Vapes can be mistaken by animals for food and be ingested which can cause serious injury and death. They contain a variety of materials and poisonous substances including plastic, lithium and nicotine, all of which can be hazardous to animals when discarded as litter or not disposed of properly. 

“Litter is a problem on all of our doorsteps - from city centres to the countryside and beaches -  so all of us can do something to help by disposing of dangerous items such as vapes appropriately. 

“Our rescuers deal with thousands of incidents every year where animals have been impacted by litter - and what they are seeing is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, for every animal we’re able to help there are probably many that go unseen, unreported and may even lose their lives. 

“We hope the UK Government’s recently announced ban on disposable vapes will be introduced as soon as possible, as we strive to create a better world for every animal.”