500 stitches later, injured brown pelican ‘Blue’ continues healing process

Fast Break,Animals & Pets

Andrew J. Campa March 23, 2024

A 3-year-old brown pelican hobbled about the San Pedro Pier,

on March 10

injured and unable to feed itself for at least a day.

Cuts ran parallel to the jaw

of the marine bird

, straight and through to the back of the neck and into the feathered skin, according to reports from a bird rescue group.

A

member of a local sport-fishing crewlocal sportfishing crew member

spotted the disoriented bird

March 10

and tossed it a fish. The pelican caught

itthe snack

with its beak, but

the treat the snack

slid out of its exposed and damaged pouch.

The

sailor fisherman

drove the bird two miles to International Bird Rescue,

which a conservation organization that advocates for birds and

is known for providing care and rehabilitation services.

Bird Rescue The organization

announced

on

Thursday that the brown pelican, christened Blue, is improving, eating with bravado and has gained nearly two pounds.

since it arrived.

We got the bird quickly, and its fair to say that Blue is on the road to recovery, said Russ Curtis,

the group’s communications manager. Bird Rescue Communications Manager.

The bird is eating, and it has a bright future.

Curtis said the pouch is a vital organ for brown pelicans

that and

allows the bird

s

to scoop up and swallow fish.

If its cut, its a death sentence, Curtis said.

Curtis said Blue required 400 immediate stitches, performed by the organization’s

institutes

chief veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr. Another 100 stitches were added after Blue rested for five to six days, to sew up the rest of the exposed mouth area, Curtis said.

“The back of Blue’s mouth required careful reconstruction but came together well, Duerr said.

Blue spent Friday morning and afternoon in

International

Bird Rescues flight aviary.

The groupBird Rescue

posted a YouTube video Thursday of the brown pelican attempting to grab small fish out of a blue crate.

We want to thank the bird lovers of Southern California and beyond for their support of our efforts to save Blue,

Chief Executive JD

Bergeron

, CEO of Bird Rescue,

said in a statement.

Duerr and other

International

Bird Rescue staffers believe humans inflicted the injuries on the bird.

“We see many pelicans with pouch trauma due to fishing gear and eating dangerous, sharp items like fish skeletons, but the wounds do not look like this,” said Duerr,

who is also the

director of research and veterinary science. The cuts are reminiscent of a knife, machete or other sharp object.

The

harm injuries

reminded

veteran

staffers of

an a 10-year-old

attack

10 years ago onof

a Long Beach brown pelican called Pink.

Th ate birds pouch was so lacerated that International

Bird Rescue officials labeled that

e

incident the worst deliberate pouch slashing weve ever seen.

Pink needed two surgeries and almost two months of

recoveryhealing

at the same aviary where Blue

is convalescingrests

. Pink was

eventually

released

into the wild

at San Pedros seaside White Point Park in June 2014. Blue was named as a

n

homage to Pink.

Blues assault is the first by a human this year, according to Curtis. The assault on Blue is the first one thought to be by a human that International Bird Rescue has come across this year, according to Curtis.

I dont know what would lead a person to attack a bird, out just looking for food, so cruelly,

heCurtis

said. Its a sad statement about the world.

The

assault injury

was reported to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for investigation.

Capt. Patrick Foy, a member of the departments enforcement division, said he was aware of a handful of birds with injured pouches over the l

p

ast several years between Ventura and Dana Point. However, his division could not

identify

what or who was wounding the

m.fowls.

Theres no doubt these birds have been horribly injured, Foy said. Whether its caused by a human has not been proven yet.

Foy said his department could not conclude that a human was responsible

for the attacks

until

the animals are inspected.they have inspected the animals.

Until then,

he said,

we have an investigation that is ongoing, but we have very little to go on.

Foy and

International

Bird Rescue

are seeking more information from the public and

have a tip line at 888-334-2258

and hope members of the public will provide information., they hope will lead to more information.