A brown pelican that was found March 10 in San Pedro with a slashed pouch is expected to fully recover.

The bird’s pouch was severed from base to tip on both sides and required more than 400 stitches to repair, according to International Bird Rescue.

“There is strong evidence this was caused by a human,” the group said in a statement.

The bird underwent surgery and was “resting comfortably” on March 11.

Nicknamed “Blue” for the color of her temporary ID band, the pelican was found in San Pedro by the crew of the sports-fishing boat Native Sun, who contacted rescuers at Marine Mammal Care Center.

The bird was delivered to International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles Wildlife Center in San Pedro.

The pelican in an enclosure one day after surgery. (International Bird Rescue)

Blue is an adult female and is expected to fully recover after a month in expert care, said JD Bergeron, CEO of International Bird Rescue.

Another operation will be required to fully repair the pouch, which the bird needs to eat and stay hydrated, Bergeron said.

“I wish we weren’t handling another terrible case like this, but the pelican is in the best possible spot with an experienced veterinary team who will make all the difference in her recovery,” he said.

“We are grateful to members of the public for noticing her struggle and acting quickly
to get her into care.”

According to Bergeron, International Bird Rescue had a cluster of seven similar slashing cases in 2019-2021, and a dead pelican was spotted by rangers at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu in 2021.

The nonprofit relies on public support to help fund the care of injured, sick and orphaned waterbirds. Donations may be sent to www.birdrescue.org/donate/.

Dr. Rebecca Duerr surgically repairing the severed pouch. (International Bird Rescue)