SeaWorld San Diego returns pelican to wild after being rescued far from its habitat in desert

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A wayward brown pelican rescued from Phoenix, AZ, returned to the wild, SeaWorld San Diego officials said in a news release Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix received a call about the distressed brown pelican found far from its coastal habitat in the Arizona desert.

Once the bird was rescued, the SeaWorld San Diego Rescue Team was contacted and traveled to Yuma, AZ, to bring the pelican back to their rescue facility.

SeaWorld's team found severe foot wounds that were treated over several months with regular Epsom salt foot baths and close monitoring.

The pelican was fully healed after four months and returned to its natural habitat at La Jolla Cove, SeaWorld said.