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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001C_01CBD0EA.6B8E8CA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Ralph offered a lift south Round-the-world adventurer wants to drive wayward pelican home Sunday, February 20, 2011 By LAURA FRASER Staff Reporter Garry Sowerby has broken records by driving around the world, but his latest bid for adventure could turn out to be one stinky road trip. The Halifax business owner has offered to drive Ralph, a pelican stranded here since he arrived with Hurricane Earl, more than 2,000 kilometres to a wildlife sanctuary in North Carolina. "It'll be a bit of a smelly drive, but I think I can deal with that," Sowerby said. "He's eating fish all day and he's gotta let it out somewhere." The staff at Seaforth's Hope for Wildlife Society have been caring for the bird since last fall when the society's founder, Hope Swinimer, saw him land near the Dartmouth strip club that became his namesake. But the pelican is used to more temperate winters and the sanctuary's staff has been trying to get the bird to a warmer climate for months. But Ralph cannot be flown across the border on a commercial plane unless he's been cleared in advance for entry into the U.S., staff member Allison Dube told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week. There is no local U.S. Fish and Wildlife office in Halifax to do that, she said. The society had hoped someone might donate the use of a private plane to help the pelican could return home. Sowerby read about Ralph's plight and thinks he's come up with a greener plan, saying the fuel and expense of a private was bound to ruffle more than a few feathers. "That's a lot of money for anybody (and) that's a big carbon footprint to get a little bird down south," he said. "I thought, 'Gee, if we could do it with an (ethanol-powered vehicle), it would be almost the same as him flying down there (himself), in terms of the carbon footprint.' " So he contacted General Motors Canada on Saturday to see if they might lend him an ethanolpowered van to make the trip. He said he spoke to someone who expressed interest, but did not yet commit to Sowerby's plan. Sowerby will meet Ralph and his handlers at the Hope for Wildlife Society today. He's still in the planning stages, but thinks he could be able to hit the road within weeks. Ralph has been living in a barn for nearly six months, eating herring and warming himself with a heat lamp. Swinimer says she hopes Sowerby's plan comes to fruition. A pilot who read about Ralph also contacted her and volunteered her services if the society locates a private plane. ------=_NextPart_000_001C_01CBD0EA.6B8E8CA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =EF=BB=BF<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8" http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19019"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman">Ralph offered a lift=20 south<BR><BR>Round-the-world adventurer wants to drive wayward pelican=20 home<BR>Sunday, February 20, 2011<BR><BR>By LAURA FRASER<BR><BR>Staff=20 Reporter<BR><BR>Garry Sowerby has broken re­cords by driving around = the=20 world, but his <BR>latest bid for adventure could turn out to be one = stinky road=20 trip.<BR><BR>The Halifax business owner has offered to drive Ralph, a = pelican=20 stranded <BR>here since he arrived with Hurricane Earl, more than 2,000=20 kilometres to a <BR>wildlife sanctuary in North = Car­olina.<BR><BR>"It'll be=20 a bit of a smelly drive, but I think I can deal with that," <BR>Sowerby = said.=20 "He's eating fish all day and he's gotta let it out = <BR>somewhere."<BR><BR>The=20 staff at Seaforth's Hope for Wildlife Society have been caring for the = <BR>bird=20 since last fall when the society's founder, Hope Swi­nimer, saw him = <BR>land=20 near the Dartmouth strip club that be­came his namesake. But the = <BR>pelican=20 is used to more temper­ate winters and the sanctuary's staff has = <BR>been=20 trying to get the bird to a warmer climate for months.<BR><BR>But Ralph = cannot=20 be flown across the border on a commer­cial plane unless he's = <BR>been=20 clear­ed in advance for entry into the U.S., staff member Allison = Dube=20 <BR>told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week. There is no local=20 U.S.<BR><BR>Fish and Wildlife office in Hali­fax to do that, she=20 said.<BR><BR>The society had hoped some­one might donate the use of = a=20 private plane to <BR>help the pelican could return home.<BR><BR>Sowerby = read=20 about Ralph's plight and thinks he's come up with a greener <BR>plan, = saying the=20 fuel and expense of a private was bound to ruffle more than <BR>a few=20 feathers.<BR><BR>"That's a lot of money for anybody (and) that's a big=20 car­bon footprint to <BR>get a little bird down south," he said. "I = thought,=20 'Gee, if we could do it <BR>with an (ethanol-powered vehicle), it would = be=20 almost the same as him flying <BR>down there (himself), in terms of the = carbon=20 footprint.' " So he contacted <BR>General Mo­tors Canada on Saturday = to see=20 if they might lend him an <BR>ethanol­powered van to make the trip. = He said=20 he spoke to someone who <BR>expressed interest, but did not yet commit = to=20 Sowerby's plan.<BR><BR>Sowerby will meet Ralph and his handlers at the = Hope for=20 Wildlife Society <BR>today. He's still in the planning stages, but = thinks he=20 could be able to hit <BR>the road within weeks.<BR><BR>Ralph has been = living in=20 a barn for nearly six months, eating herring and <BR>warming himself = with a heat=20 lamp.<BR><BR>Swinimer says she hopes So­werby's plan comes to = fruition. A=20 pilot who read <BR>about Ralph also contacted her and volunteered her = services=20 if the society <BR>locates a private = plane.<BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_001C_01CBD0EA.6B8E8CA0--
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