A bird rescue group in Long Beach, California, says it's offering a reward of $2,500 for any information leading the arrest of the person or persons who slashed the throat pouch of a brown pelican, leaving the bird malnourished and weak.
Workers with Long Beach Animal Care Services discovered the California brown pelican April 16, its pouch cut open. An injury rescue workers said it had probably prevented the bird from eating for a couple of weeks.
Pelican feed by flying low over water then dipping their throat pouch into the water to scoop up fish.
The nature and extent of the bird's injury, not usually seen in nature, strongly suggest it was done intentionally, says Jay Holcomb of the group International Bird Rescue, which has been treating the animal.
"'Whoever handles [a pelican] would have to be very strong' to restrain the bird," Holcomb said. "Somebody has to be able to grab the animals and that's a lot of effort. That means they wanted to hurt an innocent animal, and that's completely unacceptable."
The bird's health has been improving slowly after rescuers stapled its throat patch closed which has allowed it to eat. Although a surgery will likely be needed for the bird to fully heal, Holcomb said. Putting the bird's chances of full recovery at "50-50."
The surgery would probably be conducted in the next few days, Holcomb said.
The California brown pelican has been lately taken off in the list of species classified as endangered, but under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 it remains a crime to harm the birds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service says.
Fishermen who wrongly consider pelicans as competition have been known to injure them, Holcomb says.
"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," he said in a statement. "The truth is a pelican's diet is mostly anchovies and sardines -- fish that are used as bait by people who fish for sport."
