Pelican shot dozens of times found tangled in fishing line at Nebraska lake

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A pelican that had been shot dozens of times was found tangled in a fishing line, with the rod still attached.

A Nebraska Wildlife Rehab volunteer jumped into action along with a staff member to rescue him.

X-rays were ordered once they returned to the clinic from a lake in Valley.

The images showed while no bones were broken, he had been repeatedly shot with what appears to be a pellet gun.

The team is hoping he’ll be able to recover from his injuries, which they describe as extremely painful.

NWR says it’s also hoping this bird will remind people about the dangers of discarded and unattended fishing lines.

Officials add unnecessary and cruel actions like shooting any animal with a pellet gun are not only illegal, but also causes a lot of suffering.

As always, you can help support NWR here.