# Pelican Knocks on NOAA Door for Emergency Help

> A brown pelican tangled in fishing line did something unheard of: it checked itself into a research lab for treatment.
- Title: Pelican Knocks on NOAA Door for Emergency Help | Shortify
- Summary: A brown pelican tangled in fishing line did something unheard of: it checked itself into a research lab for treatment. A brown pelican entangled in fishing…
- Keywords: brown pelican, noaa, southeast fisheries science center, panama city laboratory, fishing line entanglement, wildlife rescue, bird rescue, treble hook injury, pelican, marine biology, Knocks, Door
- Source: Birds and Blooms — https://birdsandblooms.com/birding/birding-basics/pelican-noaa-rescue
- Author: Emily Hannemann
- Published: 2026-09-18T18:01:38+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: brown pelican, noaa, southeast fisheries science center, panama city laboratory, fishing line entanglement, wildlife rescue, bird rescue, treble hook injury, pelican, marine biology
## Pelican knocks on lab door
Biologists at NOAA's Panama City lab heard knocking and found a brown pelican repeatedly rapping its beak against the door.
## Tangled in fishing line
The pelican had a double-barbed treble hook embedded in its wing and cactus spines stuck in its foot.
## Biologists become emergency doctors
The team used the same steady hands they use for tagging sharks to safely restrain and treat the bird.

> Using the same steady hands they use for tagging and surgically implanting acoustic tags in sharks and sawfish, the team safely restrained the bird.
## Ten minute surgery succeeds
Biologists snipped the barb, removed the hook, and freed the wing. The pelican stayed remarkably calm throughout.
## Bird flies away healthy
After the successful treatment, biologists released the pelican and watched it take to the skies.
## How to prevent this
NOAA urges fishermen to stow used line securely, recycle monofilament, and use barbless hooks.
## Key takeaway

A brown pelican entangled in fishing line knocked on a NOAA lab door and received life-saving treatment from biologists.