A tough rescue

[SteveNT]

I was at Scotts Creek crossing in Djukbinj National Park when I saw some movement up the creek. I thought it might be a saltie or big varanus eating something.



but this is what I found.



DILLEMA

I want to free the pelican but...

I am on my own
There are XL salties here
It's really BIG and not happy to see me
I am equipped with a tiny pocket knife and that's it!

So I go for it. She smashed me with her wings and when I tried to control them she smashed me with her beak. Eventually I got most of the lines cut but then she bolted before I could cut it all off.



So she headed up the creek still with line attached to her foot. I hope she made it. I expected her to fly but she swam away. Must have been very tired.



So was I and some of the bruises were still throbbing a week later.

What would you have done?

 

[Marzzy]

Not use to being in or even in the state where Crocs live but If I rocked up there now I don't think I could do anything cause a croc would scare the out of me.

Maybe if I had a shotgun...

But then you need a mate to keep watch quite dangerous

 

[longqi]

Well done
In answering your question you havent really got much choice but to have a go

I found a jacket or tshirt tossed over the head can help with pelicans
bloody strong birds
wicked hook on the beak

 

[jessicastockwell]

you did what you could in that situation. Thank god you stopped and helped! Good on you mate.

 

[lochie]

Reminds me of the time I jumped out of a boat in the jardine river (wepia) went up to my hips in mud just to get a pig dog out of a mud bank I saw while fishing.
On the way home I went to the pub and a bloke ran out and the dog started whimpering at the sight of his owner.

The dog had been missing for 3 weeks on a hunting trip, talk about the chances.

So in answer, I did the exact same thing.

Good job mate, some things just ahve to be done.

 

[Lawra]

Good on you!!! I have an irrational but very extreme fear of pelicans but I'm very glad you were able to help it I would defs not have been able to in your situ.

 

[maddog-1979]

good on you for having a crack at least

 

[disintegratus]

I'm with Lawra. Not a great deal scares me, but pelicans are one of those things. Truth be told, I'd be more scared of the pelican than the potential crocs, but I like to think I'd have a go anyway. As much as I don't like pelicans, I don't think I could walk away from an animal in pain. Worst case scenario I think I would have killed it, legalities aside I don't think I've got it in me to be so knowingly awful as to leave an animal to starve to death. Then I would have untangled it so that whatever ate it didn't end up in the same or worse predicament.

 

[pythonmum]

That is a huge amount of fishing line on that poor bird. You are braver than I - I think that the possible salties would have put me off more. Then again, if they were near and hungry, they would have eaten the pelican sooner. That reasoning would probably have made me have a go, too. Good job and glad it was you, not me!

 

[justin91]

Holy crap, you have my upmost respect. Only thing I'm scared of is murky water or water I can't see the bottom of. Freaks me out knowing there could be a predator there and I can't see them. Especially a saltie.

Good job on rescuing the poor bugger tho.

 

[Steveycrack]

Good on ya. At least you weighed the risks. I, being a city lad, would have entirely forgotten about the risk of crocs.

 

[SteveNT]

Good on you!!! I have an irrational but very extreme fear of pelicans but I'm very glad you were able to help it I would defs not have been able to in your situ.

I'm not very keen on clowns. If it was a clown tangled up I would have left it there ha ha!

 

[SteveNT]

That is a huge amount of fishing line on that poor bird. You are braver than I - I think that the possible salties would have put me off more. Then again, if they were near and hungry, they would have eaten the pelican sooner. That reasoning would probably have made me have a go, too. Good job and glad it was you, not me!

I had a very strong sense that one was there already. There is lots of overhanging growth. The bird had been flapping and splashing for some time. I really didn't enjoy the experience at all. I would have felt compensated if I got all the line off and it flew away. Oh well.

 

[Lawra]

I'm not very keen on clowns. If it was a clown tangled up I would have left it there ha ha!

I'm not too keen on clowns either after reading "IT" all those years ago.

 

[SteveNT]

Well done
In answering your question you havent really got much choice but to have a go

I found a jacket or tshirt tossed over the head can help with pelicans
bloody strong birds
wicked hook on the beak

I know Peter! At one stage my head was in it's gob and the hook was chewing a nasty hole behind my right ear!

 

[Jeffa]

Good job mate. Love ya work!

 

[Renenet]

If that had been me, I would have helped it, although I wouldn't blame anyone for choosing not to. My conscience would probably eat away at me for the rest of my life if I left an animal to suffer. I'm not freaked out by pelicans, so that wouldn't have been a problem, although I have a healthy respect for their beaks! To reduce that threat I would have tried what Longqi suggested and put something over its head.

The crocs would be my biggest concern. Like Pythonmum, I probably would have said to myself: "Okay, that pelican has been there for who knows how long, trapped and thrashing around and yet no croc has attacked it. Therefore the chances are that there are no crocs in the area." That may be delusional logic.

 

[thals]

Amazing effort Steve! They can be quite intimidating birds with those beaks and sheer size alone, the bird would've probably phased me more than the potential salties funnily enough. There's just something about them! :lol: That said, I'd have done the same as you mate, can't stand seeing helpless animals. Again well done! 8)

 

[disintegratus]

There's just something about them!

It's their empty, soulless eyes. And also the massive beak. And the general size. And the fact that they're evil.

 

[saintanger]

i would of done the same thing and helped, pelicans are nothing compared to an angry cockatoo stuck in fishing line. the bird tried ripping my whole finger off.