© AP PhotoA brown pelican is seen on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast
The bird struggles out of the sludge, fighting for air, oil dripping from its wings.
It could be an image from a grisly sci-fi movie. But it is not. This bird is a shocking illustration of the catastrophic impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on local wildlife.
The pelican - the official bird of Louisiana - was one of a number that were saved off the coast of the state.
They were barely able to walk or get out of the sea near East Grand Terre island, where officials found around 35 of the birds.
They were treated with detergents to wash off the oil. Many more animals have not been so lucky. More than 400 dead birds have so far been recovered.
Images such as this will only fuel anger towards BP as the spill enters its 46th day and the company struggles to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured
Deepwater Horizon well.
Previously, photographs of wildlife coated in an oily sheen were as bad as it got. But now the animals are drowning in the muck, as thick and sticky as treacle, and much, much harder to clean up.