Seagull Attacks Dove Released By The Pope [Video]

A dove released by Pope Benedict XVI was reportedly attacked by a seagull on Sunday.

The birds are used by the Pope to signal the end of prayers and as a symbol in other Christian events. However, the doves released on Sunday were unexpectedly attacked by an angry seagull shortly after they spread their wings.

According to The Huffington Post, the doves were released after Pope Bendict XVI had finished prayers at the Vatican. As the thousands in attendance looked on, the doves and the seagull engaged in some violent aerial combat.

The video embedded below shows off the confrontation as it unfolded not too far away from where the Pope had been standing. After the two birds are released, one takes refuge on a nearby window ledge. Before long, the offending seagull swoops in for the kill.

The back and forth between the birds doesn’t last long. Fortunately for this particular dove of peace, the seagull flew away before things turned really ugly. Although the chase surely put the fear in the peaceful doves, they both lived to fly another day.

According to the Daily Mail, this isn’t the first time the Pope has encountered a problem after releasing the doves of peace at the end of Sunday prayers.

Two doves that took flight last year decided the open world was simply too much to handle. Instead of taking to the wind, the birds chose to fly back inside the building.

Pope Benedict’s response to the bird’s decision to return: “They want to stay in the Pope’s home.”

Video of the seagull’s attack on the dove has been embedded below. Keep in mind that the scenario plays out a bit better on paper than it does in real life.

What do you think about the seagull that attacked the Pope’s peaceful doves?

[Image by Wikimedia Commons]