Nearly every day, Dr. Azi Sharif, the founder and executive director of Wildlife Jewels, conducts surveys along the California coast, observing seabirds and marine wildlife. Recently, Sharif was walking down the beach in Crystal Cove State Park when she
spotted a park staff member heading for their vehicle.
Sharif had been thinking about seabird entanglement, so she asked the staffer if they’d seen any wildlife in distress. It turns out, Sharif was right to ask — the park employee told her about an entangled brown pelican just down the beach.
Could Sharif save him?
“I immediately ran back to my vehicle, gathered our rescue equipment and a large pelican transport crate, and headed back down the long trail to find him,” Sharif told The Dodo.
With less than an hour until sunset, Sharif knew she had to act fast. When she found the bird, whom she calls Onyx, she could tell he was still mobile. If she didn’t catch him in time, he might stumble into the ocean.
Aided by two beachgoers, Sharif approached the bird with her rescue net and cornered him away from the water. Her first attempt missed, causing Onyx to bolt. In a flash, Sharif ran after him and managed to secure him in the net. Finally, Onyx was safe.
Sharif examined the bird and found that his wing was badly injured and fishing gear was wrapped around his body. She took him home for the night, then transported him to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center the next morning for a full evaluation.
Thankfully, Onyx had not suffered any fractures, but his scans revealed soft-tissue and joint injuries in his wing.
Today, Onyx remains at the rescue center, where he’s made remarkable strides.
“His progress has been incredibly encouraging,” Sharif said. “He has progressed into outdoor rehabilitation, and we’re hopeful that once he meets all of the necessary rehabilitation criteria and is ready to return to the wild, he can be released soon.”'
Sharif is so glad to see Onyx improving, especially because stories like his encourage her to keep helping wildlife.
“Seeing this beautiful, majestic bird recover is a great reminder of why we keep doing this work,” Sharif said. “Every single bird we can save is invaluable.”
