Pelican that 'continues to evade capture' spotted at Dunkettle Interchange

Eagle eyed motorists spotted an unlikely visitor surveying the new layout at the Dunkettle Interchange over the weekend as a pelican was seen among the traffic.

Cork drivers did not expect a pelican crossing as part of the ongoing roadworks, however a sighting of the bird on Saturday suggests that it may be a necessary addition.

Fota Wildlife Park has confirmed to The Echo that the great white pelican seen at Dunkettle originated from the park.

A spokesperson for the wildlife park said: “Members of the public spotted the bird in the Dunkettle area, County Cork, on Saturday, and our animal care team went to the site to have the bird returned to the Wildlife Park.” 

A reddit user name Corkusername1 took to the social media platform to share the image of the bird amidst the roadworks.

Upon arriving on the scene, park rangers were unable to locate the bird, concluding that it had flown away.

“Currently, the animal care team are monitoring sightings of the bird daily. He frequently returns to the Wildlife Park ponds, where the animal care team regularly feed him.” 

“Despite the best efforts of the animal care team, he continues to evade capture. This bird is not a danger to the public and will fly away from people if approached,” the Fota spokesperson reassured.