MOSSEL BAYS NEWS - Despite the efforts of the Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre (SAPREC) to save the life of a seagull, completely drenched in oil, the bird died on Tuesday morning, 11 February.
Founder of SAPREC, Carol Walton, said the bird was found in a ditch in the Mossdustria area, outside Mossel Bay, on Monday, 10 February. He was immediately brought to SAPREC for urgent attention.
Walton said she suspects the gull had been in that ditch, covered in oil for a day or two before he was found and rescued.
"When he came in, he was very weak," she said.
When she washed the gull, she wasn't able to get all of the oil off. Her own hands were slick with the oil. She said because he was so weak, she planned to give him some time to rest before washing him again.
Walton said she put heat lamps over him and gave him some medicine but when she came in on Tuesday morning, the gull had died.
The gull was found in a ditch in Mossdustria. Photo: SAPREC
It is of utmost importance to bring a bird to SAPREC as soon as it is found in oil, to better its chances of survival, she said. The longer the bird is in the oil, the smaller the chance of survival.
Not only does the oil give off toxic fumes that could cause pneumonia in the bird, but it could also ingest the oil, which is extremely toxic to its system. Walton does not know where the oil on the bird came from.
If you find a bird in distress, contact SAPREC (082 364 3382).
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