IFAW rescues and rehabilitates hundreds of animals affected by major oil spill in Veracruz, Mexico

[Guest guest]

Good morning,

 

Here is the latest from the oil spill near Veracruz, Mexico. Unfortunately,

hundreds of birds have been affected, but the good news is that PEMEX is taking

responsibility and helping us in our rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

 

Thanks,

 

Kerry

 

 

 

Contact:

Lou Cafiero (IFAW) - US Tel: 1 (508) 744-2096; Email:

lcafiero<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =

" urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office " />

 

Joaquin De la Torre (IFAW) - Mexico 52- 55 55-54-32-8093

 

Editors: Photos available. For more information visit www.ifaw.org

<http://www.ifaw.org/>

 

 

 

IFAW rescues and rehabilitates hundreds of animals affected by

 

major oil spill in Veracruz, Mexico

 

 

 

(Veracruz, Mexico - 13 January 2005) - A team of wildlife experts from IFAW

(International Fund for Animal Welfare - <http://www.ifaw.org/> www.ifaw.org)

are currently rescuing and rehabilitating animals affected by a major oil spill

near Veracruz Mexico. The spill occurred on December 22 after an explosion at a

pumping station spilled approximately five thousand barrels of oil into the

Coatzacoalcos River causing widespread damage to marine habitat and wildlife.

 

 

 

" Hundreds of animals, mostly pelicans, are stained with oil and we are

attempting to catch and wash them as quickly as possible, " said Paul Kelway,

Manager of IFAW's Emergency Relief (ER) team.

 

 

 

On the scene, IFAW is working in cooperation with local Mexican government

organizations such as CONABIO (National Commission for Biodiversity) and PROFEPA

(Federal Department of Environmental Protection) to recruit and train volunteers

to handle cleanup and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work. In addition, IFAW

is coordinating efforts with PEMEX, the Mexican-owned oil company responsible

for the spill, which has agreed to help the rescue of oiled wildlife.

 

 

 

IFAW has established a rehabilitation center at a location near the spill site,

complete with washing pools, pens, cages and oily water waste tanks. To date,

149 animals have been admitted to the center, including: pelicans, seagulls,

herons, snakes, box turtles, hawks, kingfishers, iguanas and water turtles. The

number of animals affected by the spill is growing on a daily basis and is

expected to reach at least 400. To date, 8 animals have been released from the

center and the team expects more to be released in the coming days.

 

 

 

IFAW team members will remain on the scene to coordinate the ongoing rescue and

rehabilitation efforts for the next few weeks. These efforts include cleaning

and feeding injured wildlife and returning them to their natural habitat.

 

 

 

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

 

Founded in 1969, IFAW is an international animal welfare and conservation

organization that works to protect wild and domestic animals and to broker

solutions that benefit both animals and people. With offices in 15 countries

around the world, IFAW works to protect whales, elephants, great apes, big cats,

dogs and cats, seals, and other animals. To learn how to help IFAW protect

animals, please visit www.ifaw.org <http://www.ifaw.org/> .

 

 

 

Note to Editors: IFAW's Emergency Relief Team is managed cooperatively by IFAW

and the International Bird Rescue Research Centre (IBRRC) which brings over 30

years of experience responding to oiled wildlife. The team is comprised of

leaders in the field of wildlife rehabilitation, biology, veterinary medicine

and management who are professionals from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany,

South Africa, UK and USA. In 2000 the team jointly led the response to the

Treasure oil spill in Cape Town, South Africa, with Sanccob, which was the

largest of its kind. This required a three-month operation involving 12,000

volunteers and ultimately of the 20,000 oiled African penguins, 90% were

released back into the wild. The IFAW ER Team has attended more than a dozen

major oil spill wildlife disasters around the world in recent years. IFAW's ER

team now has such experience that it is recognized as having a global presence

that supersedes other oiled wildlife response organizations.

 

 

 

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The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW -- <a

href= " http://www.ifaw.org " >www.ifaw.org</a>) works to improve the welfare of

wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial

exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in

distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to

promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of

both animals and people.

 

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