Kind And Gentle Aussie Goalkeeper Rescues Seagull That Took A Ball To The Face

Born to a sun-scorched land whose cruelly blistering climes have weeded out all but the most terrifying and murderous critters (and, somehow, koalas), it makes sense that Australians would be better equipped than most to interact with the rare friendly creature that crosses their paths with respect, kindness, and love.

This must be why Aussie soccer teams are so magnanimous when sharing their pitches with truly wild numbers of seagulls, and why Sydney FC keeper Danny Vukovic reacted to one hurt seagull that got in the way of a ball not with a swift kick to boot it off of the playing area, but with a gentle heart and hand that scooped it up, drop it off to safety, and gave a couple loving caresses to the little fella before getting back to the match at hand.

Contrast this behavior with that of Luis Moreno, who killed an opponents’ mascot owl in very similar circumstances, and it’s apparent how much the world can learn from Vukovic. If only the Atletico Junior owl had survived to see this day.