A sharp rise in the number of sick and injured pelicans across Southern California has bird and wildlife experts searching for answers. Here in San Diego, SeaWorld has seen an influx of pelican rescue calls over the past two weeks. CBS 8 rode along with the SeaWorld San Diego rescue team Wednesday as they released a brown pelican at La Jolla Cove. They took in the bird last week when it was sick and emaciated and nursed it back to health. “It is really amazing to return them and just watch them fly away,” said Jeni Smith, curator of the rescue program at SeaWorld San Diego. SeaWorld has experienced a sharp increase of calls lately, rescuing 20 pelicans over the past two weeks. “A lot of these pelicans are coming in emaciated, they’ve ingested fishing hooks, they may have injuries, and this may be because they are starving, they’re trying to find food and they’re getting into trouble as well,” said Smith. The problem is widespread across Southern California and even as far north as Santa Cruz. On Monday, two dozen sick pelicans arrived at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. Nearly 150 of these birds have been brought to their facility since the beginning of April, 89 of those in the past week alone. MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/uptick-of-sick-and-emaciated-brown-pelicans-across-southern-california/509-d841c370-6f2e-4e76-911b-136782c7b4bc