Brown pelican recovering after fishing hook piercing

A young brown pelican is recovering at a rehab facility in Astoria after it was found late last week pierced with a fishing hook and severely entangled in fishing line.

The bird was found near Devil’s Punchbowl north of Newport on Thursday with a large hook embedded in its wing, according to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which initially took the pelican in for care. The hook was deeply set, piercing both tendon and bone, and the attached line had become wrapped around the entire body of the creature.

The bird was underweight, according to the aquarium, and it appeared that it had been entangled for some time.

Animal care staff at the aquarium removed the hook with pliers and treated the wound with antibiotic ointment before setting the bird’s wing and giving it fluids. The pelican was transferred to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast on Friday where it was said to be eating and gaining weight.

Brown pelicans were once considered endangered. During the ’60s and ’70s, their population plummeted due to eggshell thinning caused by the pesticide DDT. After the chemical was banned, the animals rebounded and were taken off the Endangered Species Act list in 2009.

They are still considered vulnerable, though, due to threats from habitat loss, food availability and human disturbance, like carelessly discarded fishing hooks.

Anyone who encounters an animal in distress should stay away from the creature, the aquarium said, and contact Oregon State Police at 800-452-7888.