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Florida Pelican Ends Up At Canadian Strip Club

Ralph The Pelican
JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- Ralph The Pelican is going to have some major explaining to do when he gets back to his wife at the nest.

It's how he ended up with his name: Flying 1400 miles from Florida to a Canadian adult entertainment club called "Ralph's."

"We got a very unusual phone call from them saying they have a pelican on the roof," said Hope Swiminar, spokesperson for the rescue group that saved him.

But Ralph may have a pretty decent excuse for mama bird. He was found in September, right around the time Hurricane Earl was churning off the coast of Florida.

The most likely scenario is that Ralph got caught up in Earl when it was closest to Florida, about 410 miles away.

The storm most likely carried him the 1400 mile trip to Seaport, Nova Scotia.

The trick now is getting him home.

"We're running against brick walls and we've made dozens of calls trying to get help," Swiminar said.

It seems shipping a pelican back to the U.S. is causing a paperwork nightmare for the Canadian rescue group. Simply carrying him on an airplane isn't going to work.

"Somebody suggested that I take him in the seat beside me," she said, "But I don't think the passengers would like that, he's really strong smelling."

So for now Ralph will remain a reverse snowbird, and if nests have couches that's probably where he'll be sleeping when he gets home.

Florida Pelican Ends Up At Canadian Strip Club | Firstcoastnews.com | Local News