Pelican rescued from Haulover Beach in September released back into the wild

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida. — Local 10 was in Miami Beach Tuesday as a local nonprofit rescue group released a rehabilitated pelican back into the wild.

Local animal advocate Jaycee Birch first brought you this story exclusively in September when a pelican was rescued at Haulover Beach.

On Tuesday, the pelican took his time, slowly walked out of his kennel and slowly spread his wings. He seemed to enjoy the wind flowing through his feathers.

The young pelican is now outside the enclosure and can fly freely for the first time in two months!

In early September, Local 10 was at Haulover Beach, right by the bay, when a young pelican was hanging helplessly from a huge tree. He became entangled in the fishing line with a large fishing hook and the bait got stuck in his wing.

“Part of his upper wing was missing. It had a piece of its wing missing so it had to be treated because of course when a pelican hurts its wing it can’t fly properly,” said Marianne Niero from the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.

The bird had a large wound and required emergency surgery.

Fortunately, the scar tissue has healed well. But the pelican had to slowly recover and learn to fly again.

“Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is our mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured native wildlife in Miami,” Niero said.

The non-profit organization has helped over 2,000 animals and currently has 64 animals in their care. The pelican released Tuesday was the 64th brown pelican to be rehabilitated this year.

“This is amazing! It’s an amazing feeling every time because you know we care about these animals,” Niero said. “We care about wildlife here in Miami, so knowing that we were able to help one, especially a young one—it was a juvenile—makes us feel really good and rewarded for our work.”

“He has been moved outside to one of our pens where the birds go for pre-release to get used to life outside again, and we keep an eye on him as he flies,” Niero added. “It took him a while to fly well again, but he finally did.”

A concerned crowd cheered Miami-Dade Rescue for saving the bird’s life in September, but Tuesday’s release into the wild was quiet and beautiful: The pelican was back on the beach, in the ocean, on the sand and in the sky where he belonged.