Since October, 34 mutilated pelicans have been found along the coast from San Clemente to Huntington Beach and the reward for information on what appears to be human attacks was increased this week to $25,500, officials said.
It is the nature of the birds’ injuries that led wildlife experts to suspect the pelicans were intentionally injured, Elizabeth Wood, veterinarian with the Huntington Beach Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, previously said.
The nature of the injuries is also why few of the pelicans have survived efforts to save them, she said.
Last month, the center announced a $500 reward for information, asking the public for help. The Animal Legal Defense Fund added an additional $5,000 soon after, and then $20,000 to the reward this week when two more dead pelicans were found by residents.
The maximum penalty for maliciously and intentionally maiming or mutilating an animal stands at a $20,000 fine, three years in prison or both, a press release from the Animal Legal Defense Fund said.
These attacks, along with similar ones reported last year in Ventura County, have been grouped into a single investigation, Capt. Patrick Foy of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. At least four brown pelicans in Ventura were found with unnatural cuts across their necks.
“We still don’t have a substantive lead at this time,” Foy said. “But I can tell you that these injuries have been attributed by two non-governmental organizations to humans.”
Call the CalTIP line at 888-334-2258 to share information on the attacks.
