FOC,
Great story. Very cool for being kind to the pelican. i hope he appreciated it...
About 12 years ago, a buddy and I were shark fishing off of Ventura, CA, when a Cormorant went after my buddies mackeral on double 10/0 hooks. Well in the fray, the bird ended up with a hook through BOTH the top and bottom of it's bill from the bottom. I think you could have heard that bird sqwaking in the harbour 15 miles away!! I have a pic somewhere with my buddy holding the bird under his arm trying to extract the hook from both parts of the bill. He pressed the barb down and backed the hook out. Not before getting cut to ribbons himself. I'll bet that bird dribbled when he drank from then on....