Pelican Recovering After Being Shot

SAN PEDRO (CBSLA.com) — An adult male brown pelican is on the road to recovery Monday after being discovered in Redondo Beach with a bullet wound.

The pelican was captured by Redondo Beach Animal Control with a broken wing and a fishhook embedded in his right shoulder and taken to the International Bird Rescue. An X-ray of the pelican's fractured wing showed the break was caused by a bullet.

"In general, when an animal like this is shot, it is a shocking thing," said Kelly Berry, Center Manager of the Los Angeles Clinic.

The pelican underwent surgery Wednesday to pin together the bird's ulna, but the injury still carries a substantial risk of infection, officials said. It's not yet known if the pelican will fly again.

It is against the law to shoot non-game species, and brown pelicans have only been off the Endangered Species List since 2009.

Anyone with information about the person responsible for shooting this pelican can contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (310) 328-1516.