‘I Swear they’re Showing off’: Children watch two rescued pelicans fly away in Miami Beach
On Tuesday, June 22nd, two brown pelicans that had been previously brought into the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station were finally released on Miami Beach, after months of rehabilitation. They were found to be suffering from severe health issues: both had swallow fish hooks, and one, named Emilio, had several other severe infections. Wildlife rehabilitators were on the scene when Fanny Perez Jafif, a volunteer at the station, found the other pelican, Gloria, in distress. Though both pelicans were found and rescued separately, they were rehabilitated and released together. About 75% of injuries to pelicans are caused by fishing hooks that are tossed out by careless fishermen or tourists.
The Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, located in Miami, treated 433 birds and wildlife in 2020. As the two pelicans were released, Miami Beach mayor Dan Gelber, who had named the two pelicans, let children from the North Shore Youth Center come and watch as they flew back to the wild. “I love watching the kids watch the birds take off,” stated Gelber.
To learn more about the rehabilitation and release of Emilio and Gloria, click here.
