Pelicans Caught in Amusing Encounter with Abandoned Dog Toy
Photographs capture two Australian pelicans appearing to play with a dog ball on a Western Australian beach.
Two Australian pelicans have been photographed engaging in an unusual interaction with an abandoned dog toy on a beach in Safety Bay, Western Australia. The images, captured by wildlife photographer Lea Scaddan, show the birds playing with a ball that features a teeth motif.
One pelican was seen scooping up the toy, its mouth agape, creating the visual effect of a human smile due to the design of the ball. The bird then passed the toy to a companion pelican, who readily accepted it.
Scaddan observed that the pelicans investigated the dog ball rather than attempting to consume it, suggesting they were interacting with it as a plaything. The beach where the encounter occurred is accessible to people and dogs at low tide but becomes isolated as the tide rises, explaining the presence of the abandoned toy.
