On July 26, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials and about 20 community members met at Golden Ponds Park in Longmont to attempt to rescue an injured pelican, nicknamed “Percy” by the community. According to rescue effort organizer Regina Hopkins, the pelican had been injured for about a month leading up to the rescue effort, with a fishing line wrapped around its wing and “a visible injury.”
Leading up to Saturday’s rescue effort, Hopkins said that a group of concerned citizens had contacted CPW multiple times to alert them to the injured pelican. CPW Northeast Region Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose said that CPW officers had gone to the area multiple times to try to catch the pelican, but due to the bird being in difficult, unreachable spots or moving locations, the department had not been successful in reaching the bird.
“It seems to swim well and can eat fish, which are great signs when we assess wildlife with injuries,” Van Hoose said in a statement made on July 24. “We are going to try again to catch the pelican in the coming days. Birds often present a larger challenge to catch up to because they are so mobile. We are certainly appreciative of the public's concern and their reports to us. It's always encouraging to see people take an interest in wildlife health. While the pelican is able to swim and eat on its own, it's best to let it continue to live in the area as any attempt to corral it could result in undue stress on the animal or injury to the bird and/or humans.”
On a call between CPW and Hopkins made a few days before the rescue, Hopkins said that a CPW officer told her that “they were ‘done trying’ and ‘didn’t want to put any more resources into it.’” This, Hopkins said, is what pushed her to organize a “more urgent citizen-led response.” Hopkins posted on multiple social media platforms to rally a group of community members to come together in the morning on July 26 to rescue the pelican using kayaks, nets, canoes, crates, and other supplies.
“Once our effort gained visibility, CPW reversed course and agreed to try again,” Hopkins said. “But by then, valuable time had already been lost.”
On the morning of the rescue, both citizens and CPW officials came out to attempt to capture Percy. “The turnout was very grassroots and heartening to see people care,” Hopkins said. Hopkins had spoken with the Birds of Prey Foundation in Broomfield and had organized for Percy to be transported to the rehabilitation center after capture.
The CPW officials and citizens were successful in capturing Percy and transported him to Birds of Prey on Saturday. However, upon intake and veterinary examination, Hopkins said that they determined the pelican’s injuries were too severe and euthanized it shortly after it arrived.
“The wing was necrotic with a hook embedded near the tendon — injuries likely worsened by the long delay in intervention,” Hopkins said. “I believe [CPW’s] timeline and level of responsiveness were inadequate, especially given that community members had been flagging this issue for weeks and we citizens wanted to step in sooner but were blocked by red tape and concerns about who was ‘allowed’ to act and liability. Sadly, by the time we were allowed to act, the bird’s fate was already sealed… This was one of those moments where waiting on the “official” path came at a cost. And that cost was the life of a magnificent wild creature.”
Hopkins believes that this outcome is a wake up call about the dangers of fishing line and hooks and that there should be more enforced rules and regulations for fishers.
“There are virtually no enforced rules stopping the fishing debris that put wildlife in danger in the first place,” she said. “A fisher who silently cuts their line and leaves it floating in the water faces little to no consequence. It’s rarely noticed, almost never enforced, and yet it’s the very cause of so much suffering… We need real, enforceable reform. At the very least, Golden Ponds should be partially or fully fishing-free. No hobby should be more important than a bird’s right to survive.”
On July 28, Longmont Public Safety posted on its Facebook page to remind Longmont residents to collect all hooks and lines when they go fishing.
“Discarded or lost fishing line can pose a serious threat to birds,” the department said. “In 2025, we witnessed several heartbreaking cases in Longmont where birds were injured or had to be euthanized due to fishing line and hooks left behind. By taking your fishing lines and hooks with you, you’re helping protect these beautiful creatures.”
