The white pelican is the largest bird in Israel, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet.
By Shula Rosen
IDF soldiers face steep challenges in their day and night mission to fight the enemy and protect fellow soldiers and Israeli civilians.
However, troops sometimes find the opportunity to come to the aid of animals during wartime.
Last week, IDF soldiers on the border with Lebanon found a white pelican that was injured by a bullet and was unable to fly.
The white pelican is the largest bird in Israel, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet.
The soldiers contacted Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority, which took the bird to the wildlife rehabilitation center at KKL-JNF’s Hula Lake.
“A young pelican, only a few months old, arrived, and an X-ray revealed a broken wing. It was likely shot during its flight from Lebanon,” said Dr. Rona Nadler Valensi, a veterinarian and the center’s director, told Ynet.
During migration season, pelicans and other birds run the risk of interaction with humans.
The veterinarians believe the bird was shot in Lebanon by poachers rather than sustaining its injuries as the result of the military conflict.
After treatment, the pelican was allowed to recover and eventually released back into the wild around Hula River.
Fortunately, the fracture was not complicated,” Dr. Nadler said, adding, “The rehabilitation center continues to save lives, even during these challenging times. Our dedicated team is committed to caring for injured animals daily, hoping for a future where humans and wildlife can live in safety.”
Since the ground war in Gaza began, the IDF has rescued cats, dogs, parrots, owls, and even a neglected lion from the Gaza zoo.
The troops rescued the parrot, which was trapped under the rubble in Gaza’s Palestine Square.
When the Israeli navy was sailing off the coast of Gaza, an injured owl landed on the deck. The sailors fed the owl and made a small cage for him.
Perhaps the most astounding and heart-rending rescue is still in process and involves saving a malnourished lion from a Gaza zoo.