An owl has been issued with his own library card in recognition of his work tackling seagulls at the University of Bath.

Yoda the European eagle owl visits the campus with his handler twice a week to unsettle the gulls there. The seven-year-old is employed as an environmentally friendly method to control the population and limit any adverse effects.

His presence discourages gulls from nesting – when they can become territorial and aggressive – on the campus or scavenging food from staff and students.

The library management team decided to issue a library card to Yoda in recognition of his “valuable service” to the university. The card, which is valid until 2020, features a photograph of the bird, described as Prof Yoda The Owl.

A spokesman said: “The university has invited Yoda and his handler Marcus to visit the campus twice a week as an environmentally friendly method to control the seagull numbers on campus and thereby limit the potential adverse effects a large gull population can have.

“During his visits, Yoda’s presence has the effect of unsettling the gull population and dissuading them from hanging around on campus and from nesting further in the area.

“Yoda has been hand-reared by his owner, which makes him very sociable with humans.

“In recognition of his valuable service to the campus, the library management team has issued him with his own library card.”

Yoda could be expected to live for up to 20 years in the wild but may live up to 60 years in captivity.