Sistine Chapel seagull lights up Twitter
A seagull perched atop the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Tuesday is giving the illusion, if someone were to look from a distance, of the highly-anticipated white smoke.
But a new pope wasn't chosen and with so many people and cameras focused on the chimney, the bird quickly became the most watched animal in the world.
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It didn't take long before the seagull was tweeting (@SistineSeagull) and with some pretty funny tweets.
Everybody talks about the Cardinals, but it’s really the 'gulls that make it happen. #conclave #gullpower
— SistineSeagull (@SistineSeagull) March 13, 2013
Who would win in a fight? Steven Seagull, or any one of these Cardinals? #conclave #newpope — SistineSeagull (@SistineSeagull) March 13, 2013
If we we base the decision on scariest Cardinal like we did last time, it might be Scola. #conclave
— SistineSeagull (@SistineSeagull) March 13, 2013
I'm not pointing any feathers, but the smoke smells just like the smoke at a Grateful Dead concert I went to once. #conclave — SistineSeagull (@SistineSeagull) March 13, 2013
They don't allow 'gull popes, but is there any rule against having a 'gull VICE-pope? Think of the Cheetos that gig would get me #conclave
— SistineSeagull (@SistineSeagull) March 13, 2013
Apparently, the gull has a thing for Cheetos and is obviously jealous of the cardinals down below. The bird may not know it, but if it stays there it will probably be the first living thing outside the Chapel to know when there is a new pope.
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This seagull is far from the first animal to take Twitter by storm. Others have included a Cobra that was temporarily on the lam from the Bronx Zoo, a peacock that fled New York's Central Park Zoo, a seal that was found on a road after a zoo exhibit in Minnesota flooded and turtles that caused delays at JFK airport.
Within an hour, the seagull's Twitter handle had more than 3,000 followers and was following two accounts — the conclave chimney and the Bronx Zoo's Cobra.
(Reuters photo)