Brown Pelican Suffers Injury Above Eye

The following story about a brown pelican was submitted by Marine Science Center in Florida.

This adult brown pelican came to us from Ponce Inlet, Florida. On intake, the bird had an open wound above the left eye. Otherwise, the bird appeared stable at 3.5 kilograms body weight (about 7.7 pounds).

The wound was sutured while the bird was under anesthesia. After surgery, the bird appeared weak.

We tube-fed the bird 60 milliliters of EmerAid IC Piscivore twice daily for two days post-surgery while offering fish in a dish. Tube feedings were discontinued after the bird was stabilized and actively eating on its own.