Starving young pelicans flock to beaches

The worst part of watching nature shows like “Blue Planet” is watching a cute defenseless animal die by the fangs of another, less cute animal.

The predator, of course, takes the meal home to its adorable little ones and all seems right with the world — until the next segment.

Such is the circle of life, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better about this:

Starving pelicans are turning up at local Bay Area beaches, according to wildlife rescuers. They are young. They are weak. And they are walking up to people for help.

Rebecca Dmytryk, a spokeswoman for local nonprofit WildRescue, told BCN in a statement that the situation is distressing, but probably just an example of “survival of the fittest:”

“Should we intervene? It’s a tough call! It’s certainly upsetting to see a starving baby pelican on the beach, but are we doing the species a disservice if we take in all the weak ones?”

Unfortunately bird rescue centers are limited, and according to Dmytryk, the young pelicans can cost a great deal to feed. Her organization WildRescue will continue to host as many birds as possible. Adult birds, though, will receive priority.

If you’d like to disrupt Darwinian evolution and help these little birds out, visit wildrescue.org. If you encounter an injured or ill-looking pelican, call WildRescue’s hotline at 1 (866) WILD-911.