Spotting wild animals in small towns is not an unusual thing. In fact, it’s somewhat of a daily occurrence there.
Since the human presence is small, animals tend to be more relaxed and ready to move into our territories. What could go wrong?
Well, sometimes that’s a question that is answered too often with the word ‘everything’.
In this story, some locals were shocked after spotting a mysterious animal below the bridge. It was stuck, and when they got a closer look, they were shocked to learn its identity.
It Turned Into A Rescue Quickly
It was a very cold day in Iowa when some locals were walking near the Des Moines River. A resident was just enjoying her day when she spotted something moving in the sludge nearby. It was a pelican that got stuck.
The pelican sat down in the debris under a bridge, and it’s safe to assume that’s how she got stuck in that position.
She tried flapping her wings to get away, but was unsuccessful. Luckily for her, the worried resident and her friend noticed her and they were going to help.
They immediately called Iowa Bird Rehabilitation (IBR). Jenni Boonjakuakul told The Dodo: “Throughout the day, we received several calls. We always ask for photos to confirm we’re talking about the same bird.”
The locals sent the photos and they were surprised to see that it was indeed the same bird. She was stuck in the gunk and was desperate for help.
IBR Volunteer To The Rescue
Boonjakuakul continued by saying: “When river levels drop this time of year, we often see these ‘log and trash jams’ form. They can definitely become hazards for wildlife.”
IBR sent an experienced volunteer to help the poor pelican, and a woman named Rickie was there in a flash.
She used her hardshell kayak to reach the pelican. Rickie bought it to prevent punctures in case she hit something or a bird damaged it.
In the past, Rickie has saved two geese, ducks, and swans, but this was her first time trying to help out a pelican.
Rickie said: “We didn’t know if she could fly, so I didn’t want to approach too quickly and scare her. I also didn’t want to approach too slowly and miss my chance. She was just out of reach of my net when she started to try and get away, and at that point, it became very clear how bad of shape she was in.”
Pelican Is Recovering At The Facility
Rickie was able to place a net on the pelican and the pelican was safely pulled to the kayak. The rescuer then proceeded to place her on it so that she was comfortable.
After that, they got back to the shore, and the pelican was transported to a medical facility. Rickie could just tell that the pelican was exhausted.
She said: “Birds rescued from situations like this are usually completely worn out by the time we get to them.”
Since the pelican could hardly move, she had to be fed the whole time. They gave her splints, and a wheelchair. After a few days of resting and relaxing, the pelican, now named Shrimp, had healed a bit.
Her appetite was also coming back and she was eating a lot better by then. Even though she was still healing slowly, the rescuers were almost certain that Shrimp will make a full recovery. Hopefully, she will be able to fly again soon and go back to her natural habitat.