2026年7月2日、牛牧場の水たまりに、よその大陸の鳥が2羽浮かんでいた。July 2, 2026 — Two birds from another continent were floating in a cattle ranch's pond.

On the island of Espiritu Santo, the largest in Vanuatu, two Australian pelicans have settled for the past several weeks on a pond at the Belmol Cattle Project. They swim among the wild ducks and feed on tadpoles and fish. The birds have a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters and a bill reaching 50 centimeters. Residents call them, in Bislama, 'tu bigfala pijin' — two big birds. Vanuatu lies along a flyway for migratory waterbirds, but this species rarely appears here, explains biodiversity officer Dean Wotoloran. They most likely wandered off course during migration, he says. The birdwatcher Mayumi Green urged residents to leave the birds alone until they depart on their own. The Vanuatu Daily Post reported it on July 2.