A pair of pesky pelicans crashed the graduation ceremony at Pepperdine University Saturday, April 28. The university is located in the California beachfront community of Malibu.
The pelicans swooped down during the event, which was attended by some 800 graduates and 10,000 spectators. Some of the attendees laughed and took pictures, while others screamed in horror.
Unable to find any comfortable place in the midst of the crowd, the long-beaked birds then landed on to the red carpet while flapping their wings. The sudden occurrence caused a temporary disruption in the ceremony.
Finally, the school officials and security-in-charge tried to shoo them away. But the pesky birds tried to nip at their hands instead. Eventually, the ceremony resumed and the birds waddled away.
Several videos were posted online and went viral on various social media sites as well.
You can watch the video here.
Jason Byrd, 22, a graduate from the university told The Washington Post, "It was right around the time when my row of soon-to-be alumni was called up when we see some pelicans flying in. At first I thought, 'Other schools get doves, but we get pelicans?' I thought it was planned."
He further added, "I'd been baking in the sun to the point where my nose was peeling, so I just wanted to get my diploma and kind of get out, but the pelicans lightened up the mood for me. They were a welcome guest in my book. It was hilarious. It was amazing."
Describing the incident, Pepperdine's staff videographer Grant Dillion also told the US daily, "As a videographer, I've always wondered how I might react in a moment like this. When I turned my camera around, I thought, 'This is it. Here we go. Hold the camera steady and don't stop rolling.' "
