Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Victims to be Helped by Wildlife Rescue Team
The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill has claimed its first victim in the form of a Northern Gannet seabird. While the bird was alive it was seen covered with toxic oil as the oil leakage kept moving towards the US coast.
The effect of the US oil spill on the bird is the possible beginning of the natural disaster that might hit the flora and fauna of the region. Dr. Michael Ziccardi, a veterinarian who is supervising the rescue operations for the impacted wildlife said that while the Gannet has been rescued through an emergency rehabilitation program no other animal has been impacted as yet.
Dr. Ziccardi was however fearful that the scenario might change very soon. Given that he is the director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network in California his predictions are likely to be validated. He also has the experience of having worked in more than 60 cases if oil spills.
Meanwhile oil has been leaking from the ruptured well which took the impact when a blast happened last week. Oil impacts the insulating power of the feathers of the bird which exposes them to extreme temperatures and also makes it difficult to fly, float, and swim. Other than that the chemical in oil irritates their skin and eyes as well.
The weather conditions in the next few days will also have a role in the impact of the damage to the wildlife. To make matters worse, there are some songbirds and shorebirds that are going through their migratory period while others are in their nesting and egg laying period. These birds would be the most risk prone.
The other issue with birds is that most of them tend to stay close to the shores and hence can be impacted once the slick hits the shore. Turtles are also on the high risk list of animals as they are in their nesting period Large boats can come in handy in the clean up of the spill and also help in keeping the wildlife away from the danger area .
Ziccardi’s primary focus would be to protect and rescue five endangered and threatened species of the sea turtles in addition to the manatees, dolphins and other marine mammals.
