The Brown Pelican is set on transport and a destination!

This lost young pelican washed up and nearly froze in Essex on Wednesday, January 27th. This most unusual visitor was spotted by a member of the CT Audubon Society who reached out to CT State Conservation Officers for help and rescue. The Pelican was transported to A Place Called Hope lethargic and suffering from hypothermia. The bird could not even lift its own head yet alone stand or thermo-regulate. This bird had most likely stowed away on a boat from down South and found itself in a very cold and lonely environment. After a slow process of re-warming this pelican, along with a warm fluid push, he/she started to re-awaken and bounce back. The care this bird requires is around the clock but with each passing day, the outcome proves promising! We found some wing bruising but the bird is in overall good shape weight wise. It is a juvenile so very hardy and determined. Since we do not normally see this species in our State, this bird has generated many calls, emails, messages and interest. While each and every bird we manage is top priority to us at APCH, we must admit, this one is most unusual for our team. Since the pelican is not a typical visitor to Connecticut, frostbite has become a concern since we have seen a few spots which may be frostbite lesions. As directed by DVM Erica Miller, the pelican is on special medication to increase blood circulation and for any of you who know us, we administer cold laser therapy routinely so any areas of concern have already downgraded to superficial. Frost bite is sneaky and each hour things can change, so we are monitoring closely for areas to treat. Lucky for this bird, the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida is excited to assist us in our urgent situation. The Hospital Director, Stephanie Franczak has enthusiastically offered to meet up with our ex-volunteers Marty Purdy and Ned Hurle, who now reside in Florida for intake admission even if it ends up being after hours. A wonderful Mother/Daughter Pilot team by the names of Arianna and Laurie Strand, are flying this bird out on an RV12 Plane from the Meriden Markham Municipal Airport either Wednesday or Thursday of this coming week. We are thrilled to have this plan in place and are so appreciative of all the offers to drive the bird South as well as the five other pilots who expressed an interest! How lucky “Arvy” is to have so many people who care! (Named by Arianna and Laurie to recognize the aircraft.) We are humbled by the outpouring in care and concern for this wayward pelican and the work we do at APCH. A very special thanks to John Ogren, Laurie Silvia and Vickie Silvia who have been collecting and supplying the many live fish to get Arvy stimulated to eat from the tub in his enclosure. Enjoy the video of the Brown Pelican having a go at breakfast.