Allow volunteers to feed Hank in safety of Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge Bird Yard

I am a friend of Hank, the disabled rescue American White Pelican living at Lake Merritt since 2004. I request that the City of Oakland allow trained volunteers to feed Hank in the safety of the Wildlife Refuge Bird Yard, located across from the Rotary Nature Center (RNC) at 600 Bellevue Ave.  

Hank was brought to Lake Merritt by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to be cared for and supplementally fed for the rest of her life. During Hank's first fifteen years at Lake Merritt, 2004 - 2019, she was fed in the safety of the enclosed Bird Yard by RNC staff, members of the City of Oakland's Parks, Recreation and Youth Development Department (OPYRD). In April 2019 OPYRD suspended feeding Hank. Individuals from the community, with permission from CDFW, have been feeding Hank ever since.

Trained volunteers are forced to feed Hank outside of the bird yard, placing Hank at greater risk of injury by off leash dogs, bicyclists, motorcyclists, misguided and ill intentioned people. Please allow Hank to be fed in the safety of the Wildlife Refuge Bird Yard.