Here is a Brown Pelican that I found standing on a boat dock last year. It has a fishing lure caught in it's breast and foot. When it flew, the lure kept the foot locked it an awkward position.. There was no way I could catch the Pelican and remove the lure, as it would fly if anyone came close.
Dave, That is awful!! I'm sure there are many other tragic cases that we don't see. I feel so badly esp. knowing it was caused by man. I don't think I will ever walk away from a fishing line or lure laying around. Not after seeing the images posted this week. Thankyou for sharing.
You often see tears in waterbird's feet so I hope this bird at least broke free from the lure at the foot end. Hard to say what might have happened at the body-end.
Dave, I notice you are from Bradenton. Next time you see something like this around town call Beth at Wildlife Rescue (941-720-9453). She is an awesome lady and has come out for me a few times to the boat launch area at Riverside Park in Palmetto for pelican rescue.
This is sad. As Axel said and I cannot emphasize enough that EDUCATION is the key. In this case, I would think the hooks will eventually rust and disintegrate, hopefully. Then the Pelican may only have some scars showing. Also, I suspect a lure as such would have somehow been snagged in shallow water and the bird got snagged itself. It would be nice though if fishermen (some) would actually take heed of the education that is given to them. Certainly, there should be more responsible folks than not.