Pelican chokes on large fish, saved after emergency surgery at Agra rescue facility

Agra: During a routine patrolling, forest officials in Agra’s Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary stumbled upon a pelican in distress. The large bird, identified as Great White Pelican, had swallowed a big 1.2 kg fish, only to end up choking on its meal. The officials rushed the helpless bird to the Wildlife SOS Agra Bear Rescue Facility for immediate medical intervention.
The bird, in an attempt to swallow the fairly large-sized Katla fish, ended up with multiple internal tears and ruptures in food pipe and neck region, officials said.
The bird had to undergo surgery, and is being given post-operative care now.
According to forest officials, the Great White Pelican, also known as Rosy pelican, is among the heaviest flying birds. They have a massive wingspan that can range from 7.4 foot to 12 foot. Their diet mainly consists of fish and they also feed on small birds and frogs.
AK Singh, range forest officer, Keetham, said: “The officers saw the distressed pelican during patrolling. After multiple attempts, the team was finally able to catch it. They immediately transported it to the Wildlife SOS Hospital for treatment.”
When contacted, deputy director of veterinary services at Wildlife SOS, Ilayaraja, said: “The bird was brought to our hospital in a critical condition. It had sustained multiple internal tears in neck. We cleaned the wounds and surgically sutured the ruptured skin. The pelican is currently receiving therapeutic laser treatment, along with post-operative medication.”
On the similar lines, Wildlife SOS’ Rapid Response Unit rushed to the Veterinary Hospital in Fatehpur Sikri to treat an injured Sarus Crane on Thursday morning. The crane was found with a fractured left limb, which had restricted its movement. It is currently undergoing treatment.