Injured pelican released back into wild after hitting NOAA research ship near Oxnard
OXNARD, Calif. -- The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network collaborated together to save an injured pelican off the Oxnard coast.
On Oct. 8 at around midnight, a brown pelican flew into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's, or NOAA, ship Fairweather when it was traveling off the coast of Oxnard.
The members onboard the ship found the pelican on their deck and found that it was unable to fly.
The pelican was transported to the nearby Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. The wildlife care network staff says the juvenile pelican was suffering from head trauma after the collision. They also found that the pelican had a small abscess on its toe that was possibly caused by cactus thorns on the Channel Islands. They say the abscess was easily treatable.
The pelican was under intensive care for a couple of days before being rehabilitated in the center's seabird pool.
After 46 days of care, the pelican made a full recovery and was released in Carpinteria on Nov. 24.
"At sea, we do our best to prepare for many contingencies, but an injured pelican was a challenge that we could not anticipate,” said Captain Lomnicky. “Luckily, our partner agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Santa Barbara Harbormaster, and the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, were quick to respond and provide us with critical guidance. I'm grateful that through a coordinated effort, Fairweather's crew was able to safely capture, transport, and get the pelican the care that it needed. My sincere thanks go out to everyone who helped give this story a happy ending."
Brown pelicans are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are common in the southern coastal areas of the U.S. with extensions down south to South America. The population reached low numbers in the 1960s due to pollution from the pesticide DDT. They ended up on the endangered list by 1972. The brown pelican population has since recovered with the implementation of DDT regulations and conservation recovery efforts. They were removed from the endangered species list.
“We’re so grateful that the Fairweather’s crew took the time to give this pelican a second chance at life,” said Ariana Katovich, Executive Director of SBWCN. “These are the types of stories that remind us how much teamwork is involved to help wild animals in distress. I am heartened that our community cares so deeply for wildlife.”
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