WHERE WERE THE PELICANS THAT RECOVERED FROM AVIAN BOTULISM RELEASED?
Recovered American White Pelicans – usually in groups of 15 or 16 were transported directly from the Pacific Wildlife Facility to a release site along the Southern California coast, and all have been released. Due to their endangered status, the Brown Pelicans continued their recovery at the Irvine Animal Care Facility (“Peli Hall”) under the care of Pacific Wildlife Project volunteers. Before release, pelicans were weighed and banded under the supervision of US Fish and Wildlife officers who selected their release sites and transported them there. Sites were carefully selected for their proximity to estuaries where fish are plentiful, and have ranged from Seal Beach to Del Mar. The first group of recovered Brown Pelicans was released on September 19, 1996 – one month after the beginning of the outbreak – at Seal Beach. As of January, 1998, almost 1200 pelicans were returned into the wild.
