62 brown pelicans rehabbed after Gulf of Mexico oil spill released at wildlife refuge in Texas

Pelicans rehabbed from oil spill released in Texas

ROCKPORT, Texas — More than five dozen brown pelicans rehabilitated from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have been released in Texas.

The 62 pelicans arrived on Coast Guard cargo planes Wednesday and were taken to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge about 175 miles south of Houston. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other groups released the pelicans and one northern gannet.

Wednesday’s release was the largest to date since an offshore oil rig exploded April 20.

Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Nancy Brown said the refuge was chosen because it has the coastal habitat the pelicans need and was already home to a population of brown pelicans.