Pelican Rescue at Naples Pier
May 8, 2011
Pelicans love to hang around fisherman hoping for a free meal. Because they are so large and not shy of humans, they often get hooked by anglers or entangled in fishing lines. On Naples Pier pelicans get entangled or hooked often, so the city has huge Net Rings available to rescue Pelicans.
Mary Kay of Fun Photography happened to be at Naples Pier on May 8, 2011 with her husband when suddenly a pelican became entangled in a fishing line. Lucky for Mary Kay she had her camera.
As you can see from the photo's the Ring Net is used to bring the bird out of the water; without this net the rescue could not have happened. The bird was only tangled in the fishing line, so his release was easy. Once released, the bird took a few minutes to sit on a railing to catch it's breath, then it flew off with no visible signs of the dilemma. Thank you for these great pictures Mary Kay!
Photos: Fun Photography by Mary Kay |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
These huge birds have become accustomed to humans feeding them and will generally hang around your boat, docks, or piers waiting for a free meal. Please do not feed the birds and if they are lingering around your fishing spot, move to another one to avoid hooking these beautiful birds.
Here is an excellent video on how to avoid hooking a Pelican and what to do if you do.
Please read this PDF file Rescuing Hooked Pelicans which had all the details on what to do if you hook a Pelican.
