Mike Smith wrote:
>Actually, one of the largest rehabbing efforts ever (the de-oiling of
>otters and birds after the Valdez oil spill) was followed. Glen Van
>Blaricom told me that despite the *millions* of dollars spent de-oiling
>(surely there's a better term for it than that?) otters, most of them died
>anyway. The reason being that they (and seabirds) which live in cold
>waters live right on the edge of hypothermia their whole lives. Their
>fur/feathers, if working properly, keep them warm. But if the tiniest bit
>of surface area is exposed (as happens when oil mats the fur/feathers),
>their bodies rapidly cool down to deadly temperatures, despite the fact
>that 95% of their coat may still be an effective barrier. Seabirds
>undoubtedly faced a similar fate after being cleaned and released.

Good point. In fairness, though, these critters may have fared
(slightly) better if they were 100% cleaned. It's a QC problem (an
insurmountable one, I suggest) during any large-scale cleaning operation.
I continue to believe treating oiled birds is as essentially misguided
as it is inevitable.
--
Scott Richardson
NE Seattle
salix at halcyon.com