Pelican redefines 'jailbird' by ending up in police custody

By: Amanda Kabbabe/Gillian Pensavalle

A pelican recently found itself in police custody.

Sounds crazy, right? Well, that's because it is! After all, what on earth would a pelican be doing in the back of a police car?

It all started when California Highway Patrol received a call about an injured pelican on an interstate in Truckee.

When police arrived to help the bird, they realized he wasn't actually injured. Instead, he was causing some trouble by flying along the highway and dodging cars.

Imagine a variation of the game "Frogger" but with a pelican, and real.

Luckily, this wasn't the first time Officer Troy Griesemer had to handle an erratic bird. He used previous falconry experience to help him safely capture and handle the pelican.

The pelican was then transferred to a Local Wildlife Rescue Organization, but not before he was put into the back seat of a police car.

Hopefully, he was scared straight and will stay out of trouble moving forward!

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