The future is looking up for the 3-year-old California brown pelican that was found on March 10 with a mostly-detached pouch.
The pelican had a second surgery this week at the International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro. Altogether, more than 500 stitches were needed to repair the slashed pouch that rescuers believe was an act of human cruelty.
The pelican, officials at the center said on Thursday, March 21, “is on the mend.”
The bird was brought in by a crew member on the Truline, one of the sport fishing boats at 22nd Street Landing. Loryn Murakami was working on that boat spotted the pelican on a rail on a neighboring vessle. She thought something looked wrong as the bird sat on the rail of a neighboring vessel. When she tossed a fish over and the pelican grabbed it, the fish fell through the pelican’s pouch.
The injuries were severe but Veterinarian Rebecca Duerr of the center’s Research and Veterinary Science quickly performed surgery, one of two the bird would need.
As of Thursday, March 21, the pelican — nicknamed “Blue” by the rescue center — was eating “with bravado, having gained 800 grams (1.75 pounds) since coming into care at the Los Angeles wildlife care center,” according to a written release.
“All signs point to a resilient majestic pelican that will soon return to the wild,” the release said. “In a video of Blue, still groggy from sedation after her second surgery this week, she can be seen hilariously attempting to eat by throwing fish over her head.”
Capt. Patrick Foy, of the California Fish and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division, said on March 11 that the agency would be investigating the incident.
Similar injuries, Foy said, have been reported along the California coastline from Ventura to Dana Point over the past five years but no arrests have been made in those cases. Foy couldn’t be reached for additional comments Thursday, May 21, but a bird center contact, noting they had not received an…
Read the full article here
