Thank you

Without the help of our invaluable vets this very handsome boy could have died a slow horrible death.   

From the first sighting on the breakwall, with his leg hanging down, it appeared his leg was broken.  While I was waiting for a Australian Seabird Rescue team member, Kay, to help me I watched him with the binoculars and spotted a bit of blood at the top of his leg.  With all fingers crossed I hoped it was a hook and not a major infection.  Unable to put his foot down he was pushed around by the other birds and swam away looking very sad.  I couldn’t find him the next day but then he turned up again and our co-ordinator, Kirsten, and I luckily caught him.  However, the hook was so deeply imbedded I couldn’t feel the barb and so to the vet – the hook was attached to a cheapo ‘squiggy’ lure and  it appears that the fisherman had pulled so hard the hook was pointing backward deep in his leg which was only revealed by xray.  All this for a 50c lure. 

The hook is imbedded very deeply in this poor pelican.

Fortunately the vet was able to remove the hook and the pelican was successfully released.

         

Luckily the vet was able to remove the hook without surgery and even though the pelican looked calm he was in fact on the verge of going into shock.  With a very sore leg and a long term shot of antibiotics he was sent on his way.  A great rescue for a big mature male as the birds are mating at the moment.

Betty