Unfortunately, help arrived too late for many animals. Many began to groom themselves and interact with each other. As their health returned, so did their wild spirits. It was wonderful to see the transformation in the animals after they were cleaned and fed. Suzanne and I spent the whole day helping to clean enclosures and prepare food for the animals. Although Tri-state is primarily a bird facility, they treat all oiled wildlife. A large snapping turtle and a little garter snake were also among the incoming patients. Water birds were not the only animals affected by the spill. I was not permitted to photograph oiled birds because the images would be considered evidence. Federal law requires the company that spilled the oil to pay for clean up. With oil spills there are legal considerations. When ingested, it can damage internal organs.īefore returning the birds to the waiting area, each one was given a temporary leg band and photographed for evidence. Oil is bad enough on the feathers, but it can also cause chemical burns to the eyes and skin. They cleaned around the bird’s eyes and beaks. The birds were given fluids to hydrate them. When the feather structure is compromised by oil, it does not provide adequate insulation and the birds and can get dangerously cold. Feathers provide waterproofing and help regulate a bird’s body temperature. Erica Miller and Charity Uman examined them.įirst, we weighed each bird and took its temperature. Together with other volunteers, I held the oiled birds while Tri-State veterinarians Drs. I watched a short training video, and then was put to work. We met at Tri-state on Thursday November 8th.
Knowing they were short on volunteers, Suzanne asked if I could come as well. Suzanne has attended Tri-State’s Oil Spill Training Workshop, and was recruited to help clean oiled birds. Photograph courtesy of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research Inc.Īfter Hurricane Sandy, Tri-State has led the effort to catch, clean, and care for birds and other wildlife affected by several oil spills in New Jersey. This turtle was a victim of the oil spill. Since then, Tri-State has researched the effects of oil on wildlife and developed effective treatment and response procedures that are used across the country.
#HEROES OF THE STORM RAPTOR MOUNT SERIES#
Lynne Frink founded Tri-State in 1976 after witnessing the devastation caused by a series of oil spills on the Delaware River. Yet the damage caused by these smaller spills accounts for the majority of wildlife casualties.įortunately, Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research Inc., a wildlife rehabilitation facility located in Newark, Delaware, specializes in oil spill response. Unlike large open water oil spills, such as the 2010 disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, smaller fresh water spills rarely receive national media attention. Oil from these refineries spilled into surrounding wetlands affecting hundreds of geese, ducks, turtles and other wildlife. In northern New Jersey, several oil refineries were damaged by the storm in spite of preparations made before the storm. In some cases it wasn’t the wind and flooding that caused the damage but the forces they released. You may have seen images of New Jersey’s storm-ravaged barrier islands on the news. Hurricane Sandy caused extensive environmental destruction as well. In other places they have lost their homes entirely. In some places people are still without power in their homes. It takes only a short drive to reach places where the devastation was much worse.
#HEROES OF THE STORM RAPTOR MOUNT WINDOWS#
Where I live, in New Brunswick, NJ, downed trees and broken windows were the worst of the damage. When a hurricane strikes, the human loss is palpable. Photograph courtesy of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research Inc.
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