The BC SPCA Victoria branch says a brown pelican rehabilitated and released from Wild ARC earlier this year returned to the centre with a significant wound to one of its wings. The bird was found dead Friday by caregivers. Photo courtesy BC SPCA.
The hopes of treating a brown pelican that returned to Wild ARC’s care in Victoria this week came to an end Friday.
The BC SPCA says the female bird, rescued Monday at Esquimalt Lagoon after being found a day earlier in distress, has died.
The brown pelican was being treated for a “significant” wound under her wing.
The cause of its injuries is not known, but society chief scientific officer Sara Dubois said it may have been the result of a dog attack.
The bird was first admitted to the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre May 1 after being transferred from the Lower Mainland in poor health and skinny.
She was then released at Race Rocks in August where other pelicans were seen in the area.
The SPCA says brown pelicans are occasional visitors to southern B.C. but are more common in California and Mexico.
Wild ARC officials were treating the pelican with antibiotics to treat her most recent wounds.
On its website, the SPCA says brown pelicans nearly disappeared from North American between 1950 and 1970 and were on the endangered species list until 2009.
The use of chemicals saw a population decline until regulations were put in place, which resulted in a rebound in brown pelican numbers.
With files from the Canadian Press.
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