American White Pelican

American White Pelicans are rarely brought to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), but when one was found and unable to move, it was brought to CROW. The veterinarians determined it was most likely suffering from red tide toxicity due to its symptoms of depressed mentality and generalized weakness, however, the bird was alert and in good body condition.

The plan for this white pelican included supportive care while it regained muscle mass and flushed toxins out of its system. Upon intake, this patient weighed 5.85 kilograms, a weight in the middle range for a healthy adult. For many red tide patients, EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore is used for the first couple days to help the patients get calories while they are too weak to stand or eat on their own, which was exactly the protocol used for this white pelican.

While the pelican was re-energizing, using EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore helped to maintain body weight until the patient was eating herring on its own. Once this patient was standing, bright, alert, and eating well, it was moved to an outside enclosure for test flights. The white pelican took a couple days to fly, but once it started, it didn’t stop. This American White Pelican was released and joined a flock of its species.

Posted on April 26, 2018