Deepwater Horizon Spill Response
"What is happening to the animals?”
In the early days of oiled wildlife recovery,
affected animals were washed immediately, now we know better and release
rates have greatly improved thanks to research, improved protocols and
properly trained responders. First, oiled animals are stabilized and
treated for dehydration and shock. Once the animal is stable it then
moves on to the washing process. It’s far more difficult than you
imagine to wash an oiled animal. It takes an experienced and well
trained handler to complete the process correctly and with minimal
stress to the animal. The temperature of the water is critical and the
animal must be constantly monitored for signs of stress and shock.
Drying comes next followed by rehabilitation. Birds cannot be released
until the waterproofing of their feathers is restored.
“I want to be trained to wash oiled birds.”
As in all disasters, there are some people who will
try to take advantage and sadly that is true of this oil spill. Do not
pay anyone for training; if you sign up and are called to volunteer you
will be given training as needed. Some of the safety training is online
and you will be directed to that site and to the training that you need.
Even free trainings may be suspect. Taking a course in oil spill
response or oiled bird washing from the wrong group will not
automatically sign you up as a volunteer for the spill. If you have any
questions you can call or e-mail us, and we’ll check it out for you.
The wildlife rescue component of any spill is
overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and is
paid for by the responsible party (in this case BP). USFWS is working in
collaboration with Tri-state Bird Rescue and Research in the current
response. Tri-state specializes in oiled wildlife rescue and recovery
worldwide. Heidi Stout, VMD is their Executive Director and a good
friend; she is also an excellent choice to be heading up the oiled
wildlife response. State agencies as well as Federal agencies are
involved. Regular rehabilitation facilities are not equipped to handle
oiled wildlife on a large scale, so centralized locations for oiled
wildlife are established as part of the response. There are currently
four washing/treatment facilities in LA, MS, AL and Florida. In addition
to Tri-State’s staff, experienced wildlife rehabilitators and other
wildlife professionals from many organizations are assigned to the
centers as needed by USFWS. Here at Pelican harbor, Wendy, Brian and
Kristin are already signed up and prepared to assist as needed. We are
also very involved with USFWS and Tri-state in planning for any impact
in Florida. There is a good plan in place which is constantly updated as
the situation changes.
“I want to donate money or supplies.”
There are also some groups asking for donations and
supplies to clean the birds. Again, this response is not handled through
individual facilities but through a centralized response system.
BP is responsible for paying all
costs associated with the spill including wildlife response. So, as
with any donation, please make sure that your kindness will be used
legitimately.
If you want to check please call us and we’ll help
you and also report any misuse to the appropriate agency. Wildlife
rehabilitators appreciate donations throughout the year. A side effect
of the spill is actually an increase in non-oiled animals requiring
rehabilitation for some other reason. We think this is because people
become more aware of the animals they share their neighborhoods with and
notice more problems, thus increasing intake numbers. Our telephone call
volume has increased dramatically in the last month. Already the
increase in animals and telephone calls has led to the need for us to
increase one of our part time positions by 10 hours per week. We are
also concerned about the influence the spill will have on the price of
the fish we need to feed the rehabilitating seabirds.
“What is happening at the Seabird Station?”
We are receiving many phone calls and emails from
people wishing to volunteer to help oiled wildlife. Most people want to
wash oiled birds but we ask you to be open to other options, because
there is much more involved than just washing the animals.
We are currently taking names,
telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of those interested in
volunteering, so that we can keep you updated and call on you if and
when needed. If you would like to sign up you can email us at
wendy@pelicanharbor.org.
Please remember that we can always use volunteers at Pelican Harbor
Seabird Station, wildlife is injured throughout the year, and this year
we have already treated nearly 1000 birds. If you are interested in
volunteering with us please go to our
Volunteer Page.
Kristin will then contact you and give you the information on our next
volunteer training.