Nigel the Pelican on the Mend after Second Surgery

Nigel, the wounded pelican that had its beak repaired in a revolutionary surgery in Fountain Valley last month, is recovering from a second procedure performed last weekend to correct a setback discovered during its rehabilitation.

The first procedure was performed May 7 by Dr. Marcos Unis of the in Fountain Valley. Nigel was found April 30 with 6-inch fishing hook and lure attached to his lower bill entangled with fishing line attached to his right wing arching his head and beak to his body. After removing the fishing tackle, Nigel’s lower fractured bill remained curved down and to the right making it impossible for him to feed himself.

Doctors determined that Nigel would not be able to survive if his beak could not be straightened out. After straightening Nigel's beak, Unis used an acrylic fixation device and steel pins to hold it in place.

Unis conceded at the time that only time would tell whether Nigel would make a full recovery, and last week, doctors discovered that the bird's lower beak had split near the tip and was starting to become necrotic. With Unis unavailable to perform a second surgery, Dr. John Huff, a veterinary dental specialist was called in to perform a three-hour procedure using material similar to that used in human dental implants.

"It's sort of a buck look," said Debbie McGuire, wildlife director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, which originally spearheaded Nigel's rescue. "Nigel seems to be doing good, but the beak is shorter on the bottom than it is on top. I don't know if this bird is going to be releasable, but we're cautiously optimistic that it's going to work."

With combined surgery costs of about $5,000, $8 worth of fish each day and antibiotics to buy, Nigel's medical bills are piling up. But, McGuire said, help could be on the way. Hayden Rosenauer, a Hollywood animal trainer who owns A2Z Animals, has reportedly offered to help with Nigel's fund raising efforts. Rosenauer has experience with pelicans, having provided a group of the birds that played Rufus in the 2011 film Dolphin Tale.

If Nigel can't be released back into the wild, McGuire said, A2Z could potentially take him in, but because he's a federally protected species, that option would have to be approved by fish and wildlife officials. For now, McGuire said, he appears to be on the mend and not too much worse for wear.

"He's in no pain. He's eating well. Those are all good things if you're a pelican," she said.