May 7, 2008 12:38 pm US/Eastern
Pierced Pelican Improves After Tree Entanglement
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
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Pelican on the mend at Wildlife Care Center in Broward.
CBS
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Firefighters with the Hollywood Fire Department work with a bucket truck to rescue a pelican that had been trapped in a tree by a piece of fishing line.
CBS
A pelican, rescued from a tree top after being stuck dangling in fishing line for two days, continues to improve and grow stronger everyday.
The pelican was rescued from a tree at John U. Lloyd State Park in Hollywood last week.
But now, after a week of tender loving care at the
Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale, the pelican is doing much better.
"She's curious now. She'll snap at you when you come close, They're still wild," explained Dr. Stefan Harsch from the Wildlife Center.
Doctors say this is a true animal survival story. The bird had a fishing hook pierced in her right wing. The hook was tied to a line that got tangled in the branches. The bird was stuck and stayed there, hanging upside down for two days until she was rescued. But she was badly dehydrated, stressed and in pain.
"When I saw that I didn't have a lot of hopes, but amazingly there's nothing major really wrong," Dr. Harsch told
CBS4's Sharrie Williams. After a week of recovering at the SPCA Wildlife Center, the pelican is alert, walking, eating and sporting a bright, colorful bandage on her wing.
She's also getting stronger each day. X-rays show no severe damage to her wing for now she has to relax and get lots of rest, that's doctor's orders.
"She has cage rest, just like we have bed rest, so she's not allowed to move around much. She's very lucky, very luck," said Dr. Harsch.
The recovering pelican will probably be moved to the Center's Pelican Pool next week where doctors will access her ability to fly and determine whether or not she can be released back into the wild.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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