The Process of Cleaning Oiled Birds - Lake Wabamum, August 2005
On this page you will find pictures from the Spruce Grove oiled wildlife cleanup where hundreds of local volunteers helped WRS and Focus Wildlife rescue and rehabilitate affected wildlife.
Each bird that entered the facility was examined and assessed by a veterinarian, fed charcoal to coat their stomachs, and rehydrated before beginning the washing process. The picture to the right shows local volunteers washing the Bunker C fuel off of a bird after the bird had been pre-treated in mineral oil to loosen up the feathers. A bird of this size took two volunteers around an hour to clean with dish soap, clean water, and a toothbrush. The bird was rinsed until the water ran clear and the bird appeared to be "dry". The clean bird was then transferred to a drying pen for nearly an hour which is seen in the next picture.
The following picture shows six outdoor pools built with loafing platforms so the birds could naturally waterproof themselves by preening their feathers. For the first few days there was no need for netting over the pool because birds cannot fly if their feathers are not waterproof. The last picture is of a flock of various Grebes which were ready to be reevaluated and banded before their successful release.
