A pelican with suspected chemical burns has been released back into the Gippsland Lakes after a community effort to save its life.
BirdLife Australia’s project manager, Deb Sullivan, said the injured pelican was first spotted toward the end of November near a fish cleaning station.
“She looked like she had been through a bushfire,” Ms Sullivan said.
“But on closer inspection she was covered with an oily substance to her entire body and suffering from soft tissue burns. Whilst the injuries were bad for any bird it was made worse to see that it was one of the young birds we had banded in 2018 – and just 12 months old.
“It was a long day trying to find her and to catch her, because despite the injuries the bird was moving quite well and other pelicans were often in the way. But fortunately, just a day after the original sighting we were able to catch #205.
“The bird was taken straight to our local vet for emergency clean up, assessment and treatment. Feather and blood samples have been sent to the laboratory for analysis to determine what substance was covering the bird, we are still waiting the results.”
IMAGE: Pelican 205 has been released back into the Gippsland Lakes following a chemical burn. (PS)
