Mysterious illness affecting brown pelicans

How sad - I love these birds! Wildlife experts in California, US, are concerned about a mysterious illness affecting brown pelicans from San Diego to San Francisco. Dozens of the birds - bruised and disoriented - have been landing on highways, airport runways, farm fields and house backyards. The pelicans have been coming down many kilometres from their normal habitats. The International Bird Rescue Research Center, which is dealing with the sick animals, says the cause is unknown. One theory is that the birds may have ingested chemicals from fire retardants used widely by emergency services recently to tackle severe blazes that ravaged the state. Source: BBC