San Pedro pelican found slashed in animal cruelty attack
SAN PEDRO, Calif. - A brown pelican found with her pouch slashed is resting comfortably after undergoing surgery at International Bird Rescue in Los Angeles.
Nicknamed "Blue," the injured pelican was found in San Pedro on Sunday, March 10, by a sports-fishing boat. Those inside the boat immediately contacted the Marine Mammal Care Center.
Officials said Blue's wound required more than 400 stitches. The pouch was severed from the base to the tip on both sides and will require additional surgery to fully repair the injury.
"We see many pelicans with pouch trauma due to fishing gear and eating dangerous sharp items like fish skeletons, but the wounds do not look like this," said Bird Rescue's Director of Research and Veterinary Science Dr. Rebecca Duerr.
"Blue" the injured pelican found in San Pedro on March 10, 2024. (Photo courtesy International Bird Rescue).
Based on the type of injury, officials said that there is "strong evidence" that the slash was caused by a human who likely used a knife, machete or other sharp object to make the cut.
Dr. Rebecca Duerr repairs Blue the pelican's pouch in surgery. (Photo Courtesy of International Bird Rescue).
"I wish we weren't handling another terrible case like this, but the pelican is in the best possible spot with an experienced veterinary team who will make all the difference in her recovery," said the CEO of the bird rescue JD Bergeron. "We are grateful to members of the public for noticing her struggle and acting quickly to get her into care."
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Officials describe Blue as an adult female pelican who is expected to make a full recovery after a month in expert care.
The animal cruelty incident mimics several similar slashing attacks in the past: including "Pink the Pelican," who received over 600 stitches back in April 2014, and a cluster of seven other slashing cases from 2019 to 2021.
Authorities have not released any information regarding a suspect in Blue's case.
Anyone with information on Blue's attack can call the Cal Tip Line at 888-334-2258 anonymously. A donation page has also been set up for Blue's recovery and can be found at the link here.