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Authorities are looking for the jerk who mutilated a pelican's beak, causing the bird to starve.
The California Brown Pelican you see above was discovered by Animal Control about a week ago in Long Beach. The pouch that allows the pelican to scoop up fish had been cut with some sort of sharp object, like a knife, according to the International Bird Rescue. The pelican was thin and weak from not being able to eat, but it is now in stable condition at the rescue group's bird hospital. Its pouch is being held together by staples so that the bird can eat and gain strength.
The bird is scheduled to have surgery to repair the pouch once it's strong enough. The bird has a "50-50" chance of making a full recovery, Jay Holcomb, director of the International Bird Rescue in San Pedro, told The Daily Breeze.
Pelicans are often a target of violence by people who fish. Holcomb said in a statement, "Pelicans are of no threat to anyone yet they continue to be mutilated and even killed by people who see them as competition for fish. The truth is a pelican's diet is mostly anchovies and sardines, fish that are used as bait by people who fish for sport."
Though the birds have been taken off the endangered species list, there are federal laws protecting migratory birds like the California Brown Pelican. Harming them constitutes a felony. There is a $2,500 reward being offered leading to information about who might have done this to the bird. You can call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (310) 328-1516.
