Good things come to those who wait. If that’s true, then a pair of pelicans at Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue in Australia know more about patience than most.
As per The Dodo, Mr. Percival and his partner have nested and cared for their eggs for the past six years in the hope of one hatching! Sadly, none of their eggs hatched, leaving the would-be parents despondent and sad.
The carers at Twinnies had a plan though. In September, they planted a fellow pelican’s egg in Mr. Percival’s nest in an attempt to give him what he’s always wanted.
“Mr. Percival has never given up trying to have a baby pelican chick,” Twinnies wrote on Facebook.
“We felt so sorry for him as it’s so sad when he’s seen the others around him seeing baby pelicans. So we did this amazing thing for him as we wanted to make him really happy this time.”
Indeed, amazing it certainly was. As per reports, Mr. Percival’s new egg hatched, and it was patently obvious to his carers just how much it meant to him.
Twinnies wrote on Facebook: “Mr. Percival was proud as punch.
“He made us cry. As you can tell, he and his partner are in love with their newborn pelican chick.”
Mr. Percival has gone on to prove himself a capable dad, splitting feeding and nesting duties with his partner.
“We are so proud of him as we can see the baby pelican chick is growing beautifully,” Twinnies wrote in an update on their Facebook page.
“Mr. Percival goes for a swim and catches little fish then he feeds his little one.”
Mr. Percival has been a resident at Twinnies for the past 18 years, after they found him as a young pelican on Chambers Island in Queensland, Australia. After losing a wing to an injury, his carers were able to secure him a special permit to move to the sanctuary where he currently resides.
“His behavior is just amazing,” Twinnies said on Facebook. “[He’s] been doing a lot of pelican talk to us, as he knows we’re so happy, too.”
It’s stories like this that truly warm my heart. I can only imagine the heartache Mr. Percival was going through, but that looks to be over now!
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