First oiled bird found, cleaned up (and given Pepto-Bismol)

[Enrique]

First oiled bird found, cleaned up



Dr. Erica Miller, with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, gives Pepto-Bismol to a Northern Gannet on Friday in Fort Jackson, La. The bird, normally white when fully grown, was covered in oil from the rig leak. Pepto-Bismol was used because the bird probably also ingested oil.


FORT JACKSON, La. - Oil from a massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico was starting to ooze ashore in the southeastern U.S. on Friday, as crews cleaned up the first bird found coated with oil.

The wide leak threatens birds and other wildlife along fragile islands and barrier marshes and puts one of the world's richest seafood grounds in peril.

Workers with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, which is based in Delaware, used Dawn blue dishwashing soap to scrub the oil off the young Northern Gannet. The detergent is commonly used to clean animals.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36870222/ns/us_news-environment/

(...)

[Oregone]

1. Will those fuckn aliens that Stephen was yapping about come already?

[Blue-Jay]

2. Two different gloves? Don't trust that motherfucker.

[grasswire]

3. that's a huge bird

I'd like to see the whole thing. I wonder if they anesthetize it in order to treat it.

[Lochloosa]

4. ...

[northernlights]

7. not likely

Anesthesia is possible, but physically very stressful so would likely only be used if surgery was necessary. That bird looks wide awake. You can wrap a bird from behind in a towel, binding it's wings so it can't flap them and possibly get hurt in the struggle. I use a beach towel for my cockatoo when I need to do something she hates (such as trim her nails). With large birds, one experienced person handling and a second experienced person treating works fine.

[texastoast]

5. And so it begins

This one was lucky.

[underseasurveyor]

6. Poor babies

And there will be so many more not as fortunate as this bird to be found and treated in time. The next problem will be where to release the survivors after their rescue and recovery?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. This is one of the reasons I will fight --

tooth and nail Obama's attempt to open more areas to offshore drilling. :mad:

[greencharlie]

9. sigh...

I wish everyone would understand that these birds are just like little Schnauzers and Labrador's... they're fantastic animals. I have crows that I feed daily outside my office, they're great. If he public saw ten thousand oil soaked poodles on TV they'd be more impacted...

[adigal]

12. No they wouldn't - we put millions of dogs/pups, cats/kittens

into gas chambers, stuff them together, in this country, and very few people even think about it.

We don't have much empathy for other species.

[revolution breeze]

10. They are calling for volunteers

Daughter and her friend are headed there now to see how they can help.

[jgraz]

11. Give the wildlife rescuers all the support you can

These people go through intense physical and emotional strain to help these animals. They're also putting their lives at risk given how toxic the oil is.

I did this once and never did it again. The sight of those dead and dying birds was too much for me. I can't tell you how much respect I have for people who do this on a regular basis.