Over 30 Pelicans Found Mutilated On Orange County Coastline
HUNTINGTON BEACH (AP) — More than 30 brown pelicans have been viciously attacked and mutilated along a coastal stretch of Orange County, a wildlife care organization said Monday.
At least 22 of the rescued pelicans had their wings broken so severely that bones came through the skin, according to the nonprofit Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.
"We went straight into emergency surgery to flush all of the debris out of the open wound so the bone was protruding through the skin and the wing was twisted, probably because the bird was in the surf," said Dr. Elizabeth Wood, a veterinarian.
Officials are asking anyone with information on the attacks to contact authorities.
"We need your help to find whoever is performing this atrocious act," the center said in a statement.
A total of 32 injured pelicans have been found between San Clemente and Huntington Beach over the past eight months, said Debbie McGuire, executive director of the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center.
"They would actually have to a hold of the bird and do something hard to break it because that's a good sturdy bone," said McGuire.
More information is expected Wednesday at a joint news conference by the wildlife care center and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"These are very serious injuries that require emergency surgeries and long-term care," said Wood.
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