Northern Gannet

Seabirds along the coasts of Washington and Oregon are mysteriously losing the waterproofing that protects their feathers. Without this waterproofing, the birds quickly develop hypothermia and have to expend much more energy to remain afloat.  Unable to hunt, the birds become dehydrated and starve. There are many theories concerning the cause, but none has been proven. It seems that a contributing factor may be the foam produced when red tide algae die and decompose. It is estimated that over one thousand birds have washed up dead and almost five hundred have been collected by concerned citizens. The Coast Guard has airlifted hundreds of birds to a rehabilitation center in California for care. Could this happen here? Yes, it already has on a much smaller scale. AND there have been reports of red tide in south Texas over the last several weeks. Is WR&E prepared? You bet!   The WR&E Wildlife Center has a team of State and Federally permitted and experienced wildlife rehabilitators that can care for all species of birds and mammals including endangered species during an emergency. We have the capability to set up remote facilities with the option of using the facilities available at the Wildlife Center. Each facility is capable of managing the treatment of 500 large seabirds such as pelican. The facilities can be modified to handle even greater numbers of smaller birds or mammals. Response equipment is stored in 8 “push pact” containers that can be trucked or airlifted anywhere for oiled wildlife response, hurricane response or other wildlife emergencies. The containers include over 3000 various sizes of plastic crates/kennels, 44 large cases of towels, paper towels, trash bags, feeding bowls, etc. We have free standing wooden cages equipped [...]