Good news from the Pelican State: Brown pelicans may be removed from the endangered species list in Louisiana following a highly successful reintroduction program. By the middle of the 20th century, the birds had disappeared from their namesake state (and were almost wiped out throughout the nation) due to exposure to the pesticide DDT, which caused them to lay eggs with shells too thin to protect developing embryos. Between 1968 and 1980, Louisiana imported 1,276 fledgling pelicans from Florida, which was home to the only sustainable populations; this spring, more than 16,000 nesting pairs will crowd onto Louisiana’s barrier islands. Federal officials are ready to call the pelican resurgence a success story, and are drafting a proposal to take them off the endangered species list in Louisiana and Texas.
