Man Rescued Orphaned Pelican And They Have An Incredible Bond

Jul 11, 2020 by apost team

After being separated from his flock during a storm, Bigbird the pelican was taken in by the staff at a safari camp. Jeffrey, the camp manager, took Bigbird out each morning to fish and developed an unlikely friendship.

Tanzania is home to many beautiful sights and marvelous creatures. It's also the place where one lucky camp manager formed a truly amazing bond with an orphaned pelican. Once you see these two interacting, you'll understand what real friendship is all about.

According to stuff.co.nz, Jeffrey Codon is the camp manager of the Nomad Lounges in Tanzania. The country is home to many exotic animal species; the roster includes elephants, hippos, zebras, and gazelles, and many others.

Whether he's leading tours or simply walking the grounds, Jeffrey gets to interact with all of these creatures on a regular basis.

apost.com

Out of all of the majestic creatures that he meets in his daily life, Jeffrey would never have guessed that he would form a close bond with a pelican. But when he first saw the injured and lonely bird on the beach, he immediately knew that he had to help.

Jeffrey's pelican, now named Bigbird, was separated from his flock during a particularly rough storm. Jeffrey nursed the pelican back to health, and the two immediately formed a strong friendship. In the video, the massive avian can even be seen sitting peacefully on Jeffrey's lap.

Orphaned animals often struggle to learn the behaviors that will help them survive. Having raised the Pelican himself, Jeffrey was worried that he would never learn to fish and eat on his own. As Jeffrey told Financial Times:

“When he was about a year old, I started teaching him to fish because he didn’t have his colony to show him how. I had to go out fishing for him anyway, and I thought that if I brought him with me I might awaken some of his natural fishing instincts.”

This viral video shows the beautiful moment in which Bigbird finally learned to catch his own food. Jeffrey strapped a camera to the top of the pelican's large beak, giving audiences a first-person view of Bigbird's flight. Other shots show the bird actively fishing, eating, and flapping his wings while perched on Jeffrey's back. Like any adoptive parent, Jeffrey was beaming with pride when Bigbird finally caught his first fish.

“I was really happy for him,” Jeffrey is quoted as saying. These kinds of unlikely friendships happen all the time, but they don't always get recorded. Viewers across the world are lucky that Jeffrey and Bigbird shared their adventures online. From flying to fishing, this bird sure seems at home with his human best friend.

Could you make friends with a pelican? Tell us what you thought of this video. If you really liked it, show it to a fellow animal-loving friend!