A dead pelican has been found in Alabama with black electrical tape wrapped around its beak and a rope wrapped around one wing and its feet.
State Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries agents are investigating after the bird was found in Baldwin County, WKRG-TV reports.
Donald Burrell Jr. was out fishing when he told WKRG-TV that an officer was asking if anyone has been seen bothering the birds.
The federal Fish and Wildlife Service says on its website that Brown and American White pelicans are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes actions such as taking, buying or selling the animals illegal.
Baldwin County is located on the eastern side of Mobile Bay, which is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
