Pelicans sickened by toxic algae are pouring into the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, and they need help.
It started mid-March: sick and disoriented adult pelicans coming into the center by the dozen, having seizures from eating fish contaminated with domoic acid from the toxic algae bloom.
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At first, it was just the adult pelicans, but now, it's also the babies. "Coming in also a little sick, but mainly starving, probably because the adults weren't able to get back to the nest because they were dying," Debbie McGuire, with the center, told KNX News' Emily Valdez.
The center has 659 animals and birds to rehabilitate, of which 52 are pelicans.
"We have a lot of other species, too," McGuire said, but they don't have the money or supplies to save them all. "We need financial help to feed all these guys. We also...need bath towels, flat sheets, low-sud laundry detergent, bleach, just all sorts of things."
McGuire said the survival rate of the sick bids is about 50% and anticipates the trend will continue for weeks to come.
For a complete list of what the center needs and how you can help, click HERE.
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