Dropped from the heavens during last month's horrendous storms, the American white pelican must have thought he landed in bird Valhalla: bits of shrimp, chunks of fish — all at his disposal.

But even paradise comes with a price. The pelican now recovering at The Wildlife Center first had to endure the storm that blew him off course, a likely crash-landing in a field in Eastern New Mexico, and then an attack of some kind, most likely from a coyote.

Found starving in a grasslands area about 60 miles from Maxwell Lake, the pelican landed at the center's intensive-care unit about a month ago, said Katherine Eagleson, the center's executive director. He found refuge through the center's transporters — a network of wildlife advocates who hand off injured critters to the Arroyo Seco nonprofit.

The state's only wildlife rehabilitation hospital has cared for more than 25,000 animals since it opened in 1986. It handles about 1,400 mammals, raptors, songbirds and reptiles yearly.

Pelicans aren't that unusual at the center, but they generally come in during spring migration, not fall, Eagleson said.

Once the pelican's wounds were treated, the intensive-care staff worked on getting him to eat, said Alissa Mundt, who works in the unit and on this particular day was handling several packages of dead rats, destined for hungry wildlife.

Accustomed to live fish, the pelican initially refused dead trout, Mundt said. But through experimentation, workers found the bird was fond of shrimp.

"For whatever reason, he wasn't self-feeding," Eagleson added. "It might have been stress. But he likes shrimp — so we had to buy him some shrimp. Even I don't get to eat shrimp. He got to be wandering all over the ICU, and we'd toss shrimp at him. He's become somewhat of a mascot."

Unlike the majority of wildlife that heal at the center, the pelican isn't likely to imprint on humans. The social animals prefer their flock and are always on the move.

"He'll be fine," Eagleson said, noting the bird will likely be relocated to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro in a few weeks. While the area is not an overwintering spot, flocks of pelicans take a break there on their journey south.

The majority of injured or sick pelicans that wind up at the center have stopped at Carlsbad, usually on their journey north, mistaking brine ponds for fresh water. Rehabilitating those poisoned birds is labor-intensive, Eagleson said, first cleaning the massive birds and then using intravenous medicine for recovery.

The number of poisoned pelicans this spring was down significantly from last year's high of around 20, Eagleson said. Rehabilitation training in the Carlsbad area has helped the community deal with treatment there, which avoids the dangers and costs of transportation.

Pelicans — and especially brown pelicans — are somewhat of a national success story. On Wednesday, the Interior Department removed the species from the endangered list.

Brown pelicans, which are most prevalent across Florida, the Gulf and Pacific coasts and the Caribbean, were declared an endangered species in 1970. The pesticide DDT decimated the pelican population, much like the populations of the bald eagle and the peregrine falcon.

The chemical was consumed when the pelican ate tainted fish, Eagleson said, and caused it to lay eggs that were so thin they broke during incubation.

The bird's population in Louisiana, which is dubbed the "Pelican State," was completely wiped out by 1963. But a ban on the pesticide in 1972, coupled with conservation efforts, has helped nurture a remarkable recovery. In 1985, the Fish and Wildlife Service eliminated brown pelicans living in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and up the Atlantic Coast from the endangered list.

The white pelican population also has struggled, but because of different feeding habits, sidestepped the consequences of the pesticide. But both species have suffered at the hands of humankind throughout the years.

Pelican feathers were considered a prized fashion accessory around the turn of the 20th century. Overhunting led to the birth of the National Wildlife Refuge System more than 100 years ago, according to the Associated Press. That's when President Theodore Roosevelt created the first refuge at Pelican Island in Florida.

While seemingly social and adaptable birds, pelicans can still be impacted by disturbances, especially during breeding season, Eagleson noted. Noise, even from aircraft or motorboats, can cause the birds to abandon their eggs.

Pelicans are most prevalent in New Mexico's rivers and lakes around April, while en route to breeding areas in Wyoming, Montana and Canada. In the fall, they cover the same terrain as they head to winter areas along the Gulf Coast.

There are some nonbreeding resident flocks that overwinter at the Caballo Lake State Park near Las Cruces, Eagleson said. One rehabilitated pelican found a home there last year.

Mundt, the ICU worker, said it's nice to have a challenge at the center. Most of the birds that wind up at the center are hawks, although there has been a run on golden eagles lately.

"He's great," Mundt said about pelican, which she quickly dubbed Kevin. "They've got such strong personalities."

The run on golden eagles is unusual, Eagleson said, although it's hard to say if it's a trend. All of the nine golden eagles rehabilitated at the center this year were injured through human impact, such as electrocution, poison or being hit by a vehicle. But unlike territorial mammals, birds have a much better success rate for relocation.

Ideally, center workers like a quick turnaround on wildlife. The less exposure to humans, the better their chance of survival. There are a few questions remaining about the rapidly healing pelican — the huge birds need space to fly and the "fly sheds" don't give him the opportunity to stretch his wings — but his short visit at paradise will likely be a distant memory in a couple weeks, Eagleson said.

"He won't have to fly much in the winter," she said. "He'll get some rest and then start all over."

While the group's rehabilitation sheds and intensive-care unit are closed to the public (with the exception of open houses), the center has 30 nonreleasable educational birds and mammals on the property. It also provides educational programs and tours.

The center's winter hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 505-753-9505.