A REDLAND Bay photographer was dismayed after capturing a pelican tossing around an energy drink can in a Logan lake.
Joe Earl - who is known for his wildlife shots, mostly taken around the Redlands - snapped the bird at Tygum Lagoon at Waterford West in late 2019.
He said the scene had brought tears to his eyes.
"I noticed the pelican 'playing' with a can," he said.
"There was one point where the can was halfway down the pelican's throat.
"It was at that moment I thought I had to get photos and share this atrocity with as many people as possible to make people aware of what they're doing.
"Something needs to change."
He said the area around the lake had been tidied up since the photo was taken, but people needed to change their habits.
"Unless people stop littering this is going to become a lot more common," he said.
"We have such an amazing variety of wildlife and we are killing them with our own stupidity. It's not up to others to pick up after us."
It came shortly before the state government announced a plan to ban the supply of specific single-use plastic products like straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery.
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