From the Coast Guard – PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Coast Guard Station Crisfield, Md., and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research based in Newark, Del., will work together April 23, to release pelicans into the wild two months after severe frostbite injuries almost killed them. Twelve brown pelicans were found in February on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia after they failed to migrate to warmer climates, possibly due to the unseasonably warm winter. The pelicans were brought to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research where they received veterinary care for frostbite injuries to their feet, pouches and wings. The birds were treated for dehydration, and their feet carefully soaked and massaged to stimulate circulation, fight infection, and facilitate the removal of dead tissue. With the help of Coast Guard Station Crisfield, the birds will be transported to an off-shore island in the lower Chesapeake Bay and released into a colony of brown pelicans. It is expected that the juvenile birds will soon be integrated into the group of adults on the island, and will follow them to warmer climates next fall.
