- Title: U.K.: DUTCH ORNITHOLOGIST AIDS BIRD SANCTUARY WORK TO CLEANSE OIL-BOUND SEA-BIRDS
- Date: 1st April 1967
- Summary: HOSES BEING USED TO CLEAR OIL FROM BEACHES; DETERGENTS BEING USED; WORK AT BIRD SANCTUARY. Initials AA/V/AS/PC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th April 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOUSEHOLE, CORNWALL, U.K.
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA4RGOQJZ4M7PLB17LKF1IMXV11
- Story Text: WHILE THE TANKER TORREY CANYON LIES BROKEN AND RUSTING ON THE SEVEN STONES REEF, JUST OFF THE TIP OF ENGLAND'S SOUTH WEST COAST, HER CARGO OF CRUDE OIL CAN BE SEEN ON HUNDREDS OF MILES OF BRITISH COASTLINE. GOVERNMENT MINISTERS ARE EXPRESSING OPTIMISM THAT THE MASSIVE CLEAN-UP OPERATION IS WORKING WELL AND THAT THE BEACHES WILL BE ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH WHEN THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEGINS. BUT ONE OF THE IRREPLACEABLE LOSSES OF THE DISASTER IS THAT CAUSED TO WILD-LIFE. MORE THAN 100,000 SEA-BIRDS HAVE PROBABLY DIED ALREADY, AND THE EFFECT ON SMALL MARINE LIFE AND FISH MIGHT BE EVEN WORSE. TO HELP WITH THE RESCUE WORK TO SAVE SEA-BIRDS, A DUTCH ORNITHOLOGIST HAS ARRIVED IN MOUSEHOLE WITH A DETERGENT HE HAS USED SUCCESSFULLY ON OIL-BOUND BIRDS IN HOLLAND.
EVEN THE THINNEST FILM OF OIL ON THE SURFACE OF WAVES CAN KILL SUCH BIRDS AS GUILLEMOTS, KITTIWAKES, FULMARS AND VARIOUS DUCKS. OFTEN THE BIRDS DIVE INTO THE OILY WATER, AND NEVER REAPPEAR BECAUSE THE OIL CLOGS IN THEIR NOSTRILS, AS WELL AS THEIR WINGS, AND, UNABLE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY BACK TO THE SURFACE, THEY DROWN.
THE ORNITHOLOGIST, MR. I.M. KWAK, HAS USED A SPECIAL DETERGENT SUCCESSFULLY ON BIRDS CONTAMINATED BY OIL ON THE DUTCH COAST. DETERGENTS ARE NOT USUALLY RECOMMENDED FOR CLEANING BIRDS, SINCE THEY CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. MR. KWAK ARRIVED IN MOUSEHOLE, CORNWALL, YESTERDAY, WITH A SUPPLY OF HIS DETERGENT TO AID THE RESCUE WORK.
BRITAIN'S ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (RSPCA) HAS SET UP MANY MOBILE CLINICS ALONG THE COAST AND IS DOING WHAT IT CAN TO CLEAN-UP THE SEA-BIRDS. HOWEVER MANY ARE TOO BADLY CONTAMINATED TO BE SAVED. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO HELPING IN THE CLEAN-UP OPERATION. FLOUR OR FULLER'S EARTH IS RUBBED INTO THE FEATHERS BY HAND OR WITH A BRUSH. THIS REMOVES THE OIL, BUT ALSO TENDS TO REMOVE THE BIRD'S NATURAL OIL, SO THE BIRD MAY HAVE TO BE KEPT ON LAND FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO GIVE IT TIME TO DEVELOP MORE NATURAL OIL.
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