http://www.ibrrc.org/pr_110901.html
Penguin Population Recovers from Massive Spill
World's largest oiled wildlife rehabilitation effort a complete success
Fairfield, CA November 9, 2001 -- Once considered controversial, and
even counterproductive, the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife
can now be done so successfully that oiled penguin rehabilitation is
considered part of the conservation management plan for endangered
African penguins off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), a non-profit
organization born out of a devastating spill beneath the Golden Gate
Bridge thirty years ago, has learned that the population of penguins
their team helped rescue and treat in the summer of 2000, has already
recovered to pre-spill numbers. A recent count found 6,700 breeding
pairs, with the total population on Robben Island, the location of a
major breeding colony, numbering 20,500.
'This is 1,000 more breeding pairs than last year and proof that a
species can recover when quick response and proper procedures are
followed immediately following a spill,' said Jay Holcomb, director of
IBRRC and veteran of over 100 oil spills. 'We are very excited to have
helped preserve this endangered species. Working as members of the
International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) Emergency Relief Team, we
were able to save 90.3% of the 20,251 oiled African penguins treated,
several thousand of which were chicks that would have surely died.'
Holcomb attributes the success of the largest wildlife rescue effort
ever undertaken to prompt action by both Cape Town authorities and IFAW
as well as the local people and thousands of volunteers, who came from
all over the world, to help capture, wash, feed and rehabilitate over
20,000 birds.
'We've gone from saving almost no birds in 1971 to saving over 90% of
the birds rescued from the Treasure spill in 2000. The rescue and
rehabilitation of oiled wildlife is valid and we have proven we can save
a species from possible extinction. We've come a long way and we've done
what others said couldn?t be done,' said Holcomb.
The full report is available at http://www.ibrrc.org/treasurereport.html
.
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