Melville Fire Dept. conducts water rescue to save injured pelican
An injured pelican is recovering in Regina after it was rescued by the Melville Fire Department.
Resident Tracy Kerestesh was out walking her dogs when she spotted something walking on the frozen reservoir. A pelican was limping along the frozen body of water looking for food.
“Pelicans have flown south at least two weeks ago there is no open water, there is no food,” Kerestesh said.
Kerestesh called a friend, Norm Konechny, the deputy fire chief in the area.
“I said I would go home and get a crate by the time I went home and got the crate and came back out here he already had rescue out here, (and) the men were gearing up to go on the ice,” she said.
Konechny has been a part of the Melville Fire Department for more than 50 years and has never had the experience of saving a pelican.
“This is a new one,” Konechny said. “We have rescued a parakeet and canaries out of trees, cats, and a human out of a tree who got trapped. All these other things so this was a new one.”
Konechny knew the fire department had the resources available to do an ice rescue so he called his crew who stepped up to the task. Safety protocol for water rescues was followed.
The bird was then immediately transferred to the Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Regina where he is resting.
Megan Lawrence is the director of rehabilitation at the centre and has been monitoring the pelican.
“He comes out of his enclosure and he’s on strict cage rest right now but he comes out a couple times a day to stretch his wings and feed him,” Lawrence said. “He interacts with the other pelican we have in care and they get along quite well.”
In the next 10 to14 days Lawrence hopes the bird will be healthy enough to transport to a facility in Manitoba where it will spend its winter rehabbing in a pool before being released back into the wild in the spring.
“I think everyone felt good to help something that was in trouble,” Kerestesh said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city, marking the first franchise in Canada
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.