Rescuing brown pelicans

Volunteers and veterinarians in the United States are stepping up to help save the countless animals being contaminated by the oil spill in the Gulf Coast.
Today, Lifestyles wants to introduce you to one bird who will make it, thanks to the help of a stranger.

At the fort Jackson Wildlife Rehabilition Center in Buras (burr-us), Louisiana, this brown pelican has been named, Number 36.
The bird is just one of many found covered in oil from the spill in the Gulf Coast that has devestated the southern United States.
Thankfully, number 36 and other contaminated birds can be saved, because of places like the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Brown pelican's, which are the Louisiana state bird, are particularly at risk because it dives beneath the water's surface to find food.

Not only are pelicans eating tainted fish and feeding them to their young, but their feathers can also become oil-soaked and cause hypothermia or drowning.
The veterinarians use liquid soap and everyday household items to clean the birds. A children's tooth brush is used, so are dental swabs to wash the head and Q-tips help clean delicate spots, like the circle around the eye or the bird's beak.

After being cleaned, Number 36 spent several hours drying and recuperating. The good news, 36 is expected to be just fine! And, in several days will be taken to Florida to be released back in the wild.