The pelican survived Lake Superior’s cold — but not the hidden gunshot injuries
By Bob Timmons
Published on March 31, 2026.
A solitary American white pelican named "Gitche" in an Ashland, Wis., newspaper reader contest has died, succumbing to liver failure from lead poisoning and sepsis. The bird was transported to Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo, Wisconsin, where it was severely underweight and had been hit with both lead and steel shot. The wounds explained why the bird stayed long in Ashland and was unable to leave.
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