Pelican survived Lake Superior's cold - but not the hidden gunshot injuries

A solitary American white pelican that won over a Lake Superior community has died from old gunshot wounds. The bird, dubbed Gitche in an Ashland, Wis., newspaper reader contest, didn't migrate through like other pelicans that arrived on the shore late last September. Its presence was a light of sorts - and then a mystery.

As winter set in, the bird was captured on Dec. 3, and it was soon discovered that the bird had been shot. A local biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources corralled the bird on the lakeshore and helped transport it to Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI), a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Antigo, Wis. Facility director Marge Gibson announced the bird's death March 31 on Facebook, adding that it succumbed to liver failure from lead poisoning and sepsis related to a gunshot to the abdomen. "

Gitche could not overcome the severe health challenges she faced," Gibson wrote. The bird died in its sleep. The pelican arrived in Antigo in critical condition.

Its feet were frostbitten. The bird also had other gunshot injuries, including to its long bill and neck, that it did a good job of disguising, she said. REGI said the bird, which was severely underweight, was hit with both lead and steel shot.

The wounds explained why the bird stayed so long in Ashland: It was unable to leave, Gibson said. "

She had so many strikes against her, but as every person that ever saw Gitche knew, she was a compelling individual," she added. Last December, the Ashland Daily Press held a naming contest for the pelican after news of its rescue and rehabilitation. Gitche the Pelican won out, a nod to the Ojibwe and the tribe's original term for one of the city's signature features: the Big Lake, aka Gitche Gumee. ”

We're heartbroken," editor Seth Carlson texted to the Minnesota Star Tribune. "

This community lives close to the land and water - we notice what shows up here, we pay attention to wildlife. That's why Gitche mattered so much to us.

“I grew up hunting and fishing, and shooting protected species has nothing to do with real outdoorsmanship or respecting what we have." A $2,500 reward was offered, too, for information that could help find and prosecute whoever shot the pelican. The Wisconsin DNR said it was investigating.

It is illegal to shoot pelicans. This winter, a Washburn, Wis., artist created a print of the pelican to raise money for its care at REGI. The facility had hoped to release the bird back to the wild this spring, Gibson said. "

Her last days were spent warm and as comfortable as we could provide. She was well cared for … [and] taught people that a single bird CAN and does have an influence on our lives." Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 2:41 AM.