Having one day out of the week for five months where these pelicans can have a break may significantly impact how many are severely injured.

As of Monday, 32 pelicans were being treated at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital for injuries they got at the Naples Pier.

Hospital Director Joanna Fitzgerald said, “three of them are inside the hospital still receiving critical care and the rest are outside, recovering at the shorebird pool.”

Leaders with the hospital, like Fitzgerald, said enough is enough. From 2019 to 2020, the number of pelicans they’ve had to treat has seen a significant increase.

“When we first approached city council to let them know of the issues, especially because of the constraints it was putting on our budget, we had seen 112% increase from the year before,” said Fitzgerald.