A badly injured pelican rescued by Saskatoon fire crews over the weekend has been put down.
The injuries to the pelican’s left wing were too traumatic to be repaired, a veterinarian with the Zoo, Exotic and Wildlife Medicine department at the University of Saskatchewan’s Veterinary Medical Centre said Monday.
Several bones in the wing, which was badly infected, were fractured, and no blood was being supplied to the wing, the veterinarian said.
The pelican was rescued Saturday from an island just south of the weir on the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon. The fire department’s water rescue team and a member of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan travelled out to the bird in a boat before bringing it back to the shore.
The veterinarian who spoke with CTV said the bird’s injuries appeared to be older. The pelican was likely in pain, he said.
