After several birds were targeted and shot, X-rays revealed that BB gun bullets were inside the birds. Now, they are being treated at a rescue and rehabilitation center. The three birds were rescued during the week and were rushed to the Pelican Seabird Station in Miami. “A pelican with three pellets in the body, a hawk that has a fractured leg with pellets on either side, and we also had a turkey vulture come in with a pellet lodged in this sort of thoracic girdle, which is the neck area,” veterinarian Dr. Renata Schneider said. After the birds arrived at the center, Schneider performed an emergency surgery on the pelican. “This is the pellet that was removed from the spine of the pelican, and it was actually lodged in the spine,” Dr. Schneider said. “This is just outright cruelty to animals.” The pelican had complications after its surgery. Dr. Schneider was able to successfully remove the pellet, but sadly, the seabird died from other health complications. “He lost use of his legs over time, and then it just became impossible to eat,” she said. “It’s small, but depending on where they end up in a bird, they can cause a lot of damage.” A pellet was also removed from a turkey vulture, and it seemed to be recovering well in the non-profit’s care. A red-shouldered hawk was hit multiple times, and its femur was broken, but it is on the mend. “It’s a long, slow death for these animals if they’re not brought to us,” said Dr. Schneider. “There are other ways, more humane methods, to keep birds away. If it’s for sport and fun, there are certainly more humane ways to do that too. We don’t need to be hurting and harming our native wildlife that’s already facing so many challenges in South Florida.” Under Florida law, shooting a bird with a BB gun falls under animal cruelty and is thus considered a felony. All three cases have been referred to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.