Mr Percival - star of the 1976 South Australian film Storm Boy has died at Adelaide Zoo from old age at 33 last night.
Based on Colin Thiele’s novel about a young boy who raised three pelicans and is made to set them free by his dad.
I remember seeing the movie and being touched by it when I was a child and recommend anyone that hasn’t seen it tracks it down.
Mr Percival is survived by his seven offspring that he sired with his long term partner Alto
RIP Mr Percival!
Tags: Mr Percival, Mr Percival dead, pelican dies, Storm Boy, storm boy pelican dies
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I watched Stormboy just this year and loved it.
The reason I had to watch it is because I have recently become Stormgirl.
I have been going to West Beach this year, where the Pelican statues sit on high poles on either side of the Torrens outlet. Pelicans often stand on the beach there waiting for the fishermens rejects.
I started buying fresh Tommies from the fishmarket and taking them to
feed the Pelies. I ended up being owned by one Pelican in particular who
became very teritorial about me feeding only him. I named him Peli -very original I know.
I would call him and he would swim over in a shot.
Before too long he would even fly from way up the river where he often
sat. He would recognise me when I lifted my arm. Or maybe he has very good eyesight and knows my face. This I will never know.
It would make my week when he flew over the bridge and made a perfect landing in the water right at my feet much to the amazement of anyone watching.
I wished for nothing more than to be able to pat his soft head which I was sure would never happen. Then one day, lo and behold, he let me touch his tummy. I felt so priveleged.
Several kilos of Tommies later, I had the ultimate privelege of being allowed to pat Pelis head and neck which I still do weekly. This all started in about June this year. He talks to me sometimes and even allows me to kiss him on the beak. I really know how Stormboy must have felt.
There is something really special about these birds.
Peli got tagged by someone from the Adelaide Zoo doing a survey on pelicans about 2 months ago. His yellow tag now makes him very easy to recognise because he moved house about a month ago and now lives with many other pelicans at the Patalwalunga. I hunted him out when he disappeared and thats where I found he was spending all of his time.
With spring coming on there were more people and dogs to contend with at the beach I guess.
Yesterday I visited Peli again. He certainly looked very fit and must be eating well there at the Pat. …and… he was in love – his beak was gleaming red especially on the inside – this is apparently what happens when pelicans mate. He seemed to have an equally red beaked partner with him but he nevertheless still perked up at my call and flew down the river where we now meet. We have found a spot on the grassed bank where he flies out of the river to meet me. I wonder where he will have his offspring.
Anyway I’m not sure who this is going to but I would love an answer.
I have some good photos of Peli. and one particularly good one of me patting his neck.
Hope to hear from you and my deepest sympathy for the much loved Mr. Percival.
Regards
Rosie Garrand