The reason is heartbreaking! (Video)

I don’t think I’d be fast enough to snatch a pelican, but this man? He not only grabbed one with his bare hands, but he saved its life! The ponytailed gentleman was just hanging around on a dock, as people in Florida do, when he spotted a pelican acting strange. Upon closer inspection, he realized that fishing wire was wrapped around the bird’s beak, leaving it unable to eat or drink.

The pelican was sitting on the boardwalk railing at the beach. He wasn’t able to get it off on his own and likely would have died of starvation. Thanks to the quick thinking of the man who saw him, he was able to be freed. The man gently grabbed the bird with his bare hands and held him still. At first the bird was making sounds and was nervous, but calmed down when he realized the man was only trying to help. The pelican is lucky this guy showed up when he did. He’s stealthy, quick, and has incredible compassion – everything you need for a successful pelican rescue!

An act of bravery and kindness!

While one man held the bird still, another man cut the line off his beak. At one stage the the bird was so scared that it tried to bite the man who was attempting to remove the wire which had completely wrapped itself around the beak several times over. After some gentle tugging, the men managed to remove it and check for any other debris that may have become lodged inside the bird’s throat. After the fishing line was completely off, they let the bird go and he flew away with what looked like a flap of its wings to say ‘thank you’ the bird was soaring above the Atlantic Ocean once more. It’s an incredible act of bravery and kindness, he set about freeing the poor bird that otherwise would have died a slow and painful death. Watch the video and the amazing rescue!