By Nancy Cowing Umphres

I apologize for the lapse in articles for the past two months. My mother has had a very difficult time with heart problems and she has spent many weeks in and out of the hospital, but thanks to the caring staff of our local Zapata minor care clinic and the McAllen Heart Hospital she is doing much better and is home.
My husband Robert, really had his hands full in my absence. His usual work load of running our contract gauging business, along with the addition of running a wildlife rehabilitation center, made for very long days. I came back to a very tidy center and cages (much cleaner than I left them) with many content and well-fed patients. After 26 years together we do make a good team, especially during times of crisis.
In the absence of my usual monthly wildlife rehab news, María Eugenia Guerra took the time out of her busy schedule to visit the center and write a very informative, touching article on the work that we do (see the January 2003 issue of LareDOS or visit www.laredosnews.com). The cover was extremely striking with a collage of some of our feathered and furred residents.
I have one correction to the article, and that was the grey fox that was being smuggled across the border after being caught in a barbaric steel trap. The fox didn't lose her leg, Dr. Sam Bottenfield was able to save it. I would never release a three-legged animal back into the wild due to its inability to hunt efficiently.
It was this past Saturday, Feb. 8th, a cold, dreary, chilly day. We had just sat down to lunch when the phone rang. It was the owner of Sunset Villa, a local RV and mobile home park. Some of the residents had reported a white pelican in distress. It seemed to be caught on a fishing line which was attached to a submerged tree.
Robert and I grabbed a couple of large towels and wire cutters and sped quickly over to Sunset Villa, which is only about a mile away. We were met by several concerned campers all bundled up in hoods and jackets against the cold wind. They had left another of their group to keep an eye on the pelican, who continued to struggle just off shore. We all hiked the half mile or so downhill toward an inlet off the main lake. I was thinking as we walked how all water rescues over the many years seem to come on the coldest days.
The five of us stood on the banks of the deep-looking inlet, shivering against the cold. About 40 or 50 feet out was the heartbreaking site of a magnificent white pelican caught on a fishing line that was wrapped around a tree. An offer of the use of a kayak was made, and we considered our own dinghy back at the center, but I decided to try and reach her by wading. The time spent in getting a boat would mean more damage to the bird’s leg.
I waded to waist deep and could feel a drop off with my foot that was very much over my head. Luckily I am a strong swimmer and have taken many lifesaving courses, but such cold water must always be respected. If done quickly I knew I could get the pelican cut loose and back to shore before the cold water did any damage to me. I took a deep breath and headed out. I must admit that when the water hit my chest I did reconsider for a split second, but the adrenaline kicked in after that and it wasn't so bad; actually it felt very invigorating.
The pelican was tired and stressed so she didn't put up much of a fight. I was able to cut the line and grab the pelican’s bill. The fish hook was deep in the leg and would have to be removed back at the center. She would also need a week or so of hospital care and antibiotics. I pulled the bird to my side and swam her rapidly to shore.
Robert, the runner in the family, was ready and waiting on shore to wrap the pelican in a large towel to keep her six-foot wing span under control. As he sprinted the 16-pound bird uphill to our truck, I couldn't help feeling like we were involved in an odd sort of relay race.
Back at the rescue center Robert carefully removed the hook as I held the huge bird. We medicated the wound and called Dr. Sam. Dani his wife and assistant answered the phone. Sam was on a ranch call but would come to the center as soon as possible. They both arrived in different vehicles within 45 minutes with the needed medication.
After all was calm and Sunset the pelican was resting quietly in a hospital cage, we all staggered back to our house for a much-needed glass of wine and a toast to team work and the rapid recovery of Sunset the pelican.

(The Zapata Wildlife Rescue Center can be contacted by mail at 6812 STOP 68A, Zapata, TX 78076-2913, by phone at (956) 765-8526, or e-mail at dreams@zapata.border.net. Those interested in visiting should call ahead for directions.)