‘HOOKED!’

Easter Sunday morning, sunshine was interrupted by a call to Australian Seabird Rescue from a resident, Dave, at the local mobile home village, reporting a pelican on the island with its wing down and unable to fly.

Onto the phone to Sam, one of our invaluable hovercraft owners, I asked if he could pick me up and take me to the bird.  Sam had a mate, Bruce, visiting from America, who came across and waited on the shore while Sam and I went to collect the poor thing.  The picture is compliments of Bruce.

Betty & Sam rescuing a pelican with a broken wing.

On inspection, the poor bird not only had a break, but a nasty wound at the site.  There is no doubt it was a serious hook injury (I have seen many, sadly).  Somebody has hooked the bird and just yanked so hard to get their 20c hook back, they have snapped her wing.  So, straight to the Greencross Vets, thankfully they are opened on Sunday, to be euthanized.

Thank you Sam for helping me save her from a horrible slow death.

If only…. you know, everyone – it really is so easy to stop, think and assess the situation before causing this sort of damage with a tragic ending.

Betty