HOMOSASSA SPRINGS, Fla. — A Florida Fish and Wildlife officer was in the right place at the right time Sunday when two pelicans needed some help.
Donald Bloch said he was fishing at the Homosassa Springs with his friend Harvey when they came across the birds with hooks and fishing lines wrapped around them. In a Facebook post, he said as he was trying to catch them and the FWC officer pulled up alongside his boat and jumped on with him.
Bloch says he lured the pelicans in with fish and FWC officer Lt John Jones used his net to bring the birds in one by one to untangle them.
Bloch says the birds were okay.
Bloch said the two friends are from the northeast and came down to spend the winter in Florida.
FWC said its officers are trained on how to safely unhook a bird and also help teach people what they can do if they find a bird hooked.
FWC has everything people should know if they accidentally hook a pelican on its website.
FWC says if a bird is accidentally hooked, or severely injured, people can use its app to find find the nearest seabird rehabilitator to care for the bird and/or transporter to take the bird to a rehabilitator. FWC asks people to stay with the bird until help arrives.
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