| Astubborn
oil spill along the coast near Veracruz,
Mexico affected hundreds of birds
and animals. A total of 175 birds
were captured by joint IBRRC/IFAW
Emergency Response (ER) Team. The
spill occurred on December 22, 2004.
As aviaries were being
constructed on the waters edge near
the Coatzacoalcos River, dozens
of pelicans and other seabirds flew
overhead or sat around on the tops
of the nearby buildings watching
the activities going on below. Most
of them appeared to be oiled.
 |
IBRRC's
Dave Scherrer washes an oiled
Pelican at spill near Veracruz,
Mexico. (Photo ©IFAW) |
“We have about
100 birds in-house and another 400
on-house!” said Jay
Holcomb co-director of the ER
Team, trying to add some humor to
a very trying to add some humor
to a very trying experience. The
rescue team captured large numbers
of pelicans on a daily basis simply
by baiting them in. Most were in
good condition and all ate well
so the turnaround from washing to
release was quick.
According to Paul Kelway
of the ER Team, the group captured
a large number of pelicans on a
daily basis simply by baiting them
in. Most are in good condition and
all ate well so the turnaround to
washing and then to release was
quite quick.
 |
| An
oiled iguana was also washed
of oiled.
(Photo @ 2006 Rebecca
Dmytryk) |
Species treated included
brown pelicans, Laughing Gulls,
herons, snakes and box turtles as
well as a hawk, kingfisher, iguana
and a water turtle.
The ER Team approached
15 people strong at the height of
the spill. Volunteers included students
from the University of Veracruz.
A 7,000 gallon mess
The
broken PEMEX oil pipeline spilled
7,000 gallons (26,000 liters) of
oil affecting birds and animals
in the Veracruz area of the Gulf
of Mexico.
 |
|
Oiled Pelican
is stabilized before being
washed at makeshift rehab
center. (Photo ©IFAW/J.
de la Torre Ponce) |
Reports estimated that
up to 400 pelicans were impacted
and requiring washing and rehabilitation.
Because the oil traveled up to 7
miles (11km), the damage to wildlife
and beaches was worse than originally
thought. The ER Team recruited additional
help in order to recover and wash
more birds.
The oil spilled from
a ruptured pipeline into the Coatzacoalcos
River on Dec. 22, 2004 following
an explosion at a pumping station
near Santiago Tuxtla, about 250
miles (400 kilometers) east-southeast
of Mexico City. The blast caused
a burst of high pressure that ruptured
the oil line 70 miles (110 kilometers)
away in Nanchital, just south of
the Gulf port city of Coatzacoalcos.
The pelicans rescued
by the ER Team were cared for at
a makeshift facility owned by Petróleos
Mexicanos (PEMEX). The team identified
possible facilities where access
to good amounts of hot water was
available and where the rehabilitation
process following washing could
be carried out. It was determined
that the Fisherman’s Club
was the best available facility
for rehabilitation.
 |
Pelicans,
gulls and herons, most of
them oiled await capture to
be cleaned at spill near Veracruz,
Mexico. (Photo ©IFAW/J.
de la Torre Ponce) |
The IBRRC/IFAW team
gathered and trained volunteers
from the local university in Veracruz
to assist with the oiled wildlife
operation. Pemex hired over 1,000
workers to assist in the oil cleanup.
Water heaters were also purchased
to provide sufficient quantities
of hot water for the washing process.
Pens and pools were built on the
beach to house and wash the birds.
The ER Team worked with
Pemex to set up waste tanks in order
to properly dispose of the waste
water generated by the animal washing.
Also see:
Photos
and in depth field reports by IFAW's
Paul Kelway
– Compiled by
Russ Curtis/IBRRC with help from
IFAW reports.
IFAW’s Emergency
Relief (ER) Team is managed cooperatively
by International
Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
and the International Bird Rescue
Research Center (IBRRC) which brings
over 30 years of experience responding
to oiled wildlife. The team is comprised
of leaders in the field of wildlife
rehabilitation, biology, veterinary
medicine and management who are
professionals from Australia, Brazil,
Canada, Germany, South Africa, UK
and USA. In 2000 the team jointly
led the response to the Treasure
Oil Spill in Cape Town, South
Africa, with Sanccob, which was
the largest of its kind. This required
a three-month operation involving
12,000 volunteers and ultimately
of the 20,000 oiled African penguins,
90% were released back into the
wild. The IFAW ER Team has attended
more than a dozen major oil spill
wildlife disasters around the world
in recent years. IFAW's ER team
now has such experience that it
is recognized as having a global
presence that supersedes other oiled
wildlife response organizations. |
