News items as summarised in Wetstuff, Marine and Community Network, SA
SEABIRDS
ABC Online Tue, 24 Oct 2000 18:47 CST South Australia
MUTTON BIRDS WASH UP ALONG STH AUSTRALIA'S SOUTH COAST
Thousands of dead and dying mutton birds have been washed up along
100-kilometres of shoreline near Goolwa and Victor Harbour, on
South Australia's south coast, following last week's storms. The National Parks
and Wildlife Service says the birds that are still
alive cannot be saved and it is not known how many more birds may be brought in
with the tides during the next few days. Animal
Welfare manager Deb Kelly says the birds were probably trying to reach breeding
grounds offshore from Tasmania, but were blown off
course. "There are probably in the order of thousands of birds over the entire
distance so there was probably a pretty massive storm
out at sea somewhere."
© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Wed, 25 Oct 2000 8:06 CST
Many dead birds washed ashore
Thousands of dead and dying mutton birds have been washed ashore near Victor
Harbor. National Parks and Wildlife says the birds died
from exhaustion after they were blown off course by last week's stormy
weather,on their way to Tasmania.. Animal Welfare Manager,
Deb Kelly, says the incident is a natural occurance and the few birds that were
not already dead when they were washed up could not
be saved. "They are absolutely
exhausted." She said "Mutton birds always return to exactly the same island and
exactly the same nesting burrows and it would be
physically impossible to actually pick these up, put them in care, which is
even more stressful and is likely to kill them, and then
try and put them back to where they are meant to be." "Now becomes an absolute
impossibility."
© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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