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Thoughts on oiled wildlife recovery efforts or lack thereof...

by Rebecca Dmytryk

Fact: Oil and wildlife don't mix.

Mammals, especially marine and aquatic mammals, are greatly impacted by oil, but the impact of oil on birds is tremendous and swift.

A bird's feathers are like shingles on a roof - it's their structure and alignment that keep cold air and water away from the bird's body. The smallest amount of oil can cause feathers to collapse, exposing the bird to the elements and compromising its ability to thermoregulate - to stay warm.

Successful oiled wildlife recovery plans are based on a multitude of factors and the window of opportunity in which to recover birds where they will have the greatest chance of surviving. Every spill is different.

Factors that go into planning include the geography, climate, weather, time of year (nesting; migration), type of oil and degree of oiling, species, age, an individual animal's status and unique behavior, and available resources.

It only makes sense that for search and recovery efforts to be successful - to do the greatest good and save the most animals, they should be led by those with the most hands-on experience and greatest skills. Therefore, I feel comfortable in stating there are only a few people in the United States with such expertise... maybe 60. 

Sixty people I would trust to organize and command oiled wildlife search efforts, correctly identify compromised animals, and execute successful capture plans.

(...perhaps I'm being too generous.)

SMASH CUT:

On Saturday, March 22, a barge carrying about 900,000 gallons of heavy oil collided with a ship in Galveston Bay, spilling close to 170,000 gallons of oil. Oil has been detected 12 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a recent report, Houston Audubon Society said they were seeing more and more oiled birds. On Monday, their volunteers documented about 50 oiled birds on Bolivar Flats. On Tuesday, they counted 100 at the sam location, and by Wednesday the number had climbed to about 140.

To date, no one from the country's leading oiled wildlife response organizations - no one with years of oiled wildlife capture experience has been utilized for planning or search and recovery efforts - not even the local experts, Wildlife Center of Texas.

Instead, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is relying on assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and their own staff to find and capture oiled animals.

This is absurd!

Worse, it's not the first time assistance from leading experts has been overlooked... excuse me,... ignored, rejected, even prohibited in a Southern response.

International Bird Rescue and Tri-State are the two major organizations in the country that can professionally manage a response to a major spill. In Texas, Sharon Schmaltz with Wildlife Center of Texas has decades of oiled wildlife recovery experience.

Why are these experts not leading or at the very least advising wildlife recovery efforts in Galveston Bay?

What is it that prevents these experts from being immediately mobilized for any major oil spill in the United States?

Things need to change, now and forever!

About the author: 

Rebecca Dmytryk has been involved in oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation since 1993 and has worked search and recovery efforts on over 35 major oil incidents, including the Deepwater Horizon/Gulf Oil Spill. View her CV HERE.

Taking WES to the Summit

By Deanna Barth

That's me, on April 26th, trying to lure the goose close enough to capture. I finally caught her on June 7th.

Last year, to support a friend's efforts, I attended the Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration at Mount Madonna School. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of local non-profits participating in the fundraising event. Some I had never heard of before even though they operate out of my own "backyard". 

That got me to thinking just how many people may not know about Wildlife Emergency Services. So, I made the decision to participate in the 2014 walk-a-thon.

Here we are, coming up on the April 26th event for which I signed up to complete a 15K (10 mile) walk. 

Now, all I need is your support.

You can help by either supporting my walk with a pledge per kilometer I complete, HERE, or, you can register to join me in walking for WES, HERE. At the very least, please stop by our event table to say hello.

Why we need your support? 

We're coming up on the busy season where we can expect to receive 5-10 calls per day from people who have found wild animals in distress. 

In spring and summer months, most rescues involve young, like baby birds that have fallen from their nests or that have lost their mothers.

If you're familiar with WES, then you know we are an all-volunteer run organization - with no paid staff or employees, and you know the incredible work we do.

Maybe you'll recall the red-tailed hawk with the nail through its head in San Francisco, the Canada goose in Redwood City with a kite-string winder on its wing, the turkey in Hollister with an arrow through it, the beaver caught in a packing strap in downtown San Jose, the dozens of ducklings saved from storm drains, and the countless baby birds that got a second chance to grow up wild because of our reuniting and wild-fostering team.

These are animals that, at least in my opinion, would never have been rescued had it not been for our expertise.







WES is a unique program - perhaps one of maybe a handful in the United States that is trained, equipped, experienced and provides assistance with wildlife rescues 24/7 and WES is the only wildlife organization in the greater Bay Area that provides such field services.

But, we need your support to carry on.










I’ve been a volunteer first responder with WES for three years now and I also serve as an officer and a board member. I can tell you, it's amazing what we accomplish on so little, but, we can’t continue to provide our valuable public services without financial support from people like you.





Please, consider supporting our efforts through the Summit for the Planet, HERE, or by making a contribution of any size, HERE. You can also sign up to volunteer to help rescue and transport injured wildlife, HERE. 

Thank you so much, Deanna

WES' Junior Rescuers Help Capture Injured Gull

This morning, WES received a report of a gull with line wrapped around its leg. It was seen at the end of the Santa Cruz municipal pier near the restaurants.

Lead responders Duane Titus and Rebecca Dmytryk invited Junior Rescuers, Gabe, Nate and Ben, to join them.

When the team arrived, the gull was spotted quickly. It had line wrapped around its right leg and was limping - obviously in pain.

The team decided to increase their chances of success by using a drop trap instead of a hoop net to capture the bird. 

Duane and Rebecca guided the brothers in proper rescue etiquette as they helped set up the trap and assigned them positions. Gabe (8) would be the one to pull the line and drop the trap. His brothers, Ben and Nate would work together to remove the bird from the trap and place it into a carrier.

With the trap set and Fritos crumbles scattered underneath, Dmytryk encouraged the shy bird closer by tossing a few tempting chips. Eventually, the shy bird went underneath the trap just enough. On cue, Gabe pulled the string entrapped the bird. 

Check out the video:

Ben (12) and Nate (10) assisted in removing the gull from the trap and into an awaiting carrier. The young gull was transported to a local wildlife hospital for care.

Thank you Junior Rescuers 

for helping save the gull!!!

If you'd like to support our Junior Rescuers with a donation that will be used to purchase needed supplies, equipment and expenses directly related to program, please click the special Donate button below. Thank you.

Update on Carmel River

From Frank Emerson, Carmel River Steelhead Association:

The storm water spill samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds, which turned out not to be present. The next attempt to find out what as in the spill is to test for synthetic organic compounds. If we get results we will let everyone know. It is quite possible we will never find out what it was.

The system of storms that came late in our winter were not enough to recharge the aquifer. Over pumping in the dry months draws down the water table so far it takes over 10 inches of rain just to get the river flowing all the way to the Ocean. This did not happen this year. That means a "year class" will be lost. No adults can come into the river to spawn and smolts cannot migrate downriver to the Sea. Smolts are about 8 to 10 inches and will feed over the next 2 to 3 years, growing into mature adults. With two very dry years prior to this one it is likely we will have even more declines in the Steelhead population.

The good news is that San Clemente Dam is being removed and that a new water project can substitute Carmel River water with desal water and alleviate a significant amount of over pumping. And none too soon!

Sincerely Yours,

Frank Emerson

UPDATE:

The test results for titanium - a constituent of titanium dioxide(TiO2), which is a compound used in paint, sunscreen, and polarized glasses - showed 120 micrograms per liter (or 120 parts per billion or ppb) in the water sample taken after the spill went into the river. 

Information on titanium levels in seawater or freshwater and its
effect on salmonids is difficult to find, but according to the
Lenntech web site (a company based in the Netherlands), sea water contains 1 ppb and river water contains 3 ppb of titanium. 

Since the sample was diluted by overnight runoff from the shopping center near Highway 1, it's likely that the level of titanium in the original contaminant material was much greater, which would lead to the conclusion that the spilled substance was likely paint

Thanks to Brian LeNeve, President of the Carmel River Steelhead
Association, for suggesting that titanium dioxide is used in paint pigment.

Titanium is considered a metal of medium toxicity by NOAA Fisheries. Very few studies in fish have examined the uptake and partitioning of TiO2 nanoparticles.  However, because salmonids can bioaccumulate metals and the lagoon can be closed for extended periods, we really don't want this type of material getting into the river environment or out into the ocean.

Although most people locally are well aware of the sensitivity of the river environment and Carmel Bay, I'd like to suggest that representatives of Monterey County RMA, CDFW, and MPWMD get together and work on identifying the drainage system where the spill came from, properties that contribute to the system and develop an outreach plan to the property owners and their tenants.  Also, this is a good opportunity to set up a protocol for responding to any future spills(i.e., identify which agencies should be contacted,   what resources are available to respond, and what precautions people should take in responding).

Larry Hampson, District Engineer
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District
P.O.  Box 85, Monterey CA 93942

Update on the WildHelp App

By Rebecca Dmytryk

I just returned from the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association symposium in Tennessee where our WildHelp App display won Best Poster! 

While it was certainly not as scientifically revealing as competing posters, I think the crowd was excited by the new technology and how helpful the app will be.

The display was interactive, with 2 spiral bound iPhone mockups. Each page was representational of a single screen, with questions about the animal found. Check it out:

What's unique to WildHelp, and sets it apart from any other app available, is how it asks particular questions about the animal found. These questions allow us to provide the user with the most pertinent information, specific to their situation. 

For example, if the user indicates they have found a young bird, unable to fly but not noticeably injured, an alert will pop up with information on fledgling birds.

This information gathered on the type of animal also enables us to narrow the list of local experts down to just a few, instead of a long list of veterinarians, sanctuaries and wildlife rehabilitators that may or may not treat the type of animal found.

WildHelp takes any guesswork out of the equation, making it simpler and faster to find help.

If you'd like to make a dedicated contribution toward the current and future development of WildHelp, we'd greatly appreciate it. Here are some options: 

Mail check to:

Wildlife Emergency Services

P. O. Box 65, Moss Landing CA 95039

Please write WildHelp in the memo section of your check.


Make a contribution online

Purchase limited edition merchandise, HERE.

In Appreciation

A sampling of the supplies received.

We wanted to say a special Thank You! to everyone who sent us gifts from our Amazon Wish List. Thank you, Daysha, JaneGrace, Rebecca, Michele, Kimberly, Siobhan, John, Valerie, Emilia.

We received a giant jug or Purell, Wet Ones, filters for our "skunk" masks, a mini speaker for help in reuniting wild babies, portable and reusable heating pads, and a pack of saline solution.

Thank you so, so much! This helps tremendously!

If you'd like to support our program with a purchase of needed supplies or equipment, click HERE.

THANK YOU!!!

Introducing WES' Junior Rescue Team

WES Junior Rescue Team: Kaia (7), Gabriel (8), and Ben (12) and Nathan (10).

Back in November, we held our initial meeting of WES Junior Rescuers. It was more of a social event to get acquainted. 

This afternoon, we had our first official training! 

This unique program, inspired by a young man who helped save an injured bird (story HERE), aims to teach the children valuable "hunting" skills while fostering compassion for animals - melding prowess with kindness. 





Rebecca Dmytryk, founder of WES and the team's coach, likes to think of it as introducing their Humanitarian-self with their Hunter-self.

Humans are hunter-gatherers. Underneath it all - beneath the finest fabrics, the shiniest polish, the most refined belief system, lives the hunter. It's what we do with our temperament that matters, really.  

Children are instinctively curious about nature and readily identify with animals. Here, we have an opportunity to connect them with the natural world in a deep way, empowering them with knowledge and showing them, firsthand, how they can make a difference in an animal's life, and how good that can feel.

Deanna Barth, one of the parents, had this to say:

Children learn by example, so if we want to see compassion for animals in the future, we need to start by educating our children now.  They are the future of veterinary medicine and wildlife rehabilitation. 

There is finesse to using capture equipment. WES' junior rescuers will be instructed on proper use of their tools, then, once they've achieved a certain level of skill, they'll be given the opportunity to assist in capturing ailing rock doves (pigeons) and domestic waterfowl, to start.










Today's instructional class began indoors and started out with a discussion about the team's first assignment. They'd been asked to watch two movies: Bambi, and The Three Lives of Thomasina - films that Dmytryk believes are strongly influential.

I remember these movies very, very well. Viscerally. So much that I shy away from watching them anymore. I'm sure quite a few readers will know what I mean. 

These are powerful films and they worked their magic when I was a kid - teaching the value of all living creatures, encouraging kindness, empathy, advocacy, strengthening my compassion. They don't make movies like this anymore.

Next, the team was shown training videos of certain animal capture techniques that they would be practicing outdoors, including use of a drop trap. 

Drop traps are used successfully to capture flighted birds that are shy of nets.

Outdoors, the students practiced using their capture nets, making sure to set the hoop flat so an animal cannot escape.

Then, they each practiced setting up and triggering a drop trap, and worked together to safely remove the captured animal, in this case, a duck decoy.

Congratulations to our Junior Rescuers!

You all did incredibly well!

Insult to Injury

Yesterday, a team of volunteers from the Carmel River Steelhead Association (CRSA) walked the Carmel River to check the flow of water. With the region under extreme draught conditions there is worry that this year the river may not run to the sea - critical to the life cycle of the threatened steelhead trout. The steelhead is the ananadromous (sea-run) form of coastal rainbow trout that usually returns to fresh water to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. 

Without a breach to the sea and sustained water flow in the Carmel River, juvenile fish upstream will not be able to return to the ocean and adults will be prevented from moving up river to spawn. Check out this in-depth news story that explains the issue, HERE.  

Adding more trouble for the fish and other aquatic life, Frank Emerson, Vice President of CRSA, found a large spill of white substance pouring out of a storm drain and into the Carmel River near the Cabrillo Highway bridge.

Initially, the volume of white, cloudy water was extensive. Within an hour, the runoff cleared but the substance was visible in the main stem of the waterway leading into the lagoon. Larry Hampson, hydrologist for Monterey Peninsula Municipal Water District (MPMWD) was contacted - he assessed the pollution and took samples. The Office of Emergency Services was also notified.

Frank moved up the outfall to investigate the source and, to his surprise, he found a small adult steelhead trout trying to jump the barrier and swim up the storm drain. As the flow in this side channel dropped, however, the fish became stranded. 

A rescue crew from the MPMWD relocated the fish upstream.

So far, the flow in the river is not enough to run to the ocean, but the group will monitor it closely. There is fear that if the river does breach to the sea during flooding, there may not be enough to maintain a flow after the rain subsides, and fish will need to be rescued. Volunteers are on high alert.

We encourage you to support this valuable organization with a membership of $25.00, HERE, a family membership for only $45.00, HERE, or with a donation of any size, HERE.

More on CRSA efforts:

February's Newsletter

Steelhead Get Lift from Carmel Group (2010)

THANK YOU CRSA!!!!

100,000 signatures and counting

We did it! Thanks to everyone who signed our General Mills/Yoplait petition, we reached our initial goal of 100,000 signatures!

Yesterday, with such momentum (10,000 in one day!) we decided not to stop there - why not try for 200K!

It all started just 6 weeks ago. After rescuing a skunk with its head caught in a Yoplait yogurt cup, Rebecca Dmytryk, founder and CEO of Wildlife Emergency Services, started a petition on Change.org, demanding General Mills change its trademarked cup to make it safer for wildlife.

The Yoplait cup issue is not a new phenomenon. The “vercon” shaped cup was introduced 35 years ago, and has been taking a toll on wildlife ever since - and General Mills has been aware of it!

In 1997, the Animal Protection Institute (API) and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) joined forces to research the issue. They found that the problem is unique to the United States because other countries manufacture their own containers that don’t have the inside lip.

They also came up with some statistics on the number of animals that might be harmed each year. Based on these findings, it can be estimated that, nationwide, thousands of animals are killed or injured by Yoplait containers each year.

In response to international media coverage and public outcry, in the late 1990's, General Mills made a superficial change to the container, adding a warning to the label that urges consumers to help protect wildlife by crushing the cup before disposing of it.

That was not enough. 

It is time for General Mills to change or get rid of the design, once and for all. 

Please add your voice. 

If you haven't already signed the petition, do it now, HERE.

Then, get someone else to sign.

We'll reach 200,000 in no time!

In the meantime, we are working on getting more publicity, hoping for more celebrity involvement, and expecting to hear from executives of General Mills at some point.

Introducing RatX

by Rebecca Dmytryk

In about a month, a new product will hit the shelves - a safe, effective, food-based rodenticide that is not hazardous to other animals - no risk of secondary poisoning!

Introducing RatX. RatX is not a poison, but made of vegetable and cereal grain materials. Based on the unique digestive system of mice and rats, the newly patented formula is safe for other animals. Even squirrels!

RatX pellets can be used indoors and out, applied much the same way as poison-based pellets - including bait stations (outdoors) and shallow trays (indoors). It can also be distributed in small baggies in burrows and hard to reach places.

RatX is manufactured by ConSeal International, a leading manufacturer of specialty formulations for various industries and applications, with a focus on green technologies.

I had a chance to speak with inventor and CEO of ConSeal, Stephen Perry, and he gave me a little background on RatX.

A few years ago, when the EPA announced plans to limit the sale and use of anticoagulant rodenticides because of the risk to children, pets and wildlife, his company revisited a formula it had developed to successfully combat Australia's grain mice plagues, years ago. After some significant improvements on the original idea, RatX was formulated.

RatX is a major breakthrough! Now, with a safe and effective alternative available, there's no reason for anyone to use an anticoagulant rodenticide.

Anticoagulant rodenticides have been the most commonly used compounds for controlling rodent pests since they were first discovered in the 1940s, but they pose a significant threat to wildlife and ecosystems.

Today's potent anticoagulant rodenticides are meant to be lethal to mice and rats after a single feeding, however, if consumed by another animal, directly or indirectly, these toxins build accumulate in the liver, persisting for months. A single poisoned mouse may not be enough to kill a bobcat right away, but repeated doses will lead to its death. 

Barn Owl Down

By Deanna Barth

This morning, I was forwarded a call regarding a downed owl near San Juan Bautista. The RP, Marilyn, had seen the owl on the side of the road, and stopped. 

She made several calls to find help and reached Hollister Animal Shelter. They, in turn, called WES for assistance. I was on scene within 15 minutes.

When I arrived, I saw the owl at the base of a tall chain link fence. It was standing on the dirt shoulder, leaning forward, with its head down. It looked weak.

Based on its body language, I thought maybe I could walk right over and pick it up, but I’ve learned to be more cautious.  

I parked a few yards away and greeted Marilyn. I asked her about the bird’s behavior – had she noticed if it was spooked by the passing cars. She said it hadn't been. Several vehicles, including a large, noisy 18-wheeler had blown past without it moving.  

With this information, I planned to use my vehicle as a blind, which would give me a better chance at capturing it than just walking up to it in the open. 

I assembled my long –handled net and slid it into the back of my vehicle leaving the hatch open. Then I positioned my vehicle directly in front of the owl.  

I quietly grabbed my net and walked around the side of my vehicle and peeked through the glass to confirm the owl’s position.  

Then I quickly came around the front and darted towards the owl, setting the hoop of the net over it. It made a few feeble attempts to hop away but nothing more.

We usually do a cursory exam of an animal while processing it from the net and placing it in a carrier for transport. A quick visual and a feel. I could tell by it's weight that this barn owl was thin, but its wings seemed okay, and its legs and talons appeared normal.

I drove the bird half way to San Jose where a new WES First Responder, Andrew, met me to share the drive to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. There it would be evaluated and treated.

More Friday Rounds

By Deanna Barth

As part of my "Friday Rounds", looking for injured birds, I pulled into the parking lot of Lake El Estero in Monterey. 

All of the waterfowl and gulls were resting at the water’s edge. I scanned the group with binoculars and didn’t see any obvious injuries. 

Then, I approached the group slowly, applying enough pressure to encourage each bird to stand so that I could check its legs as well.  

Each stood and walked off…..except one.  

It was resting on the gravel pathway and with me standing just a few feet away, it didn’t even flinch.  

I crouched down to get a better look and realized the problem. It's right eye was so badly infected - there was so much discharge it couldn’t see me. At least not from that eye. 

I took a step forward and it immediately cocked its head to one side on full alert!

I moved again, as quietly as I could, and its head twisted back and forth trying to figure out where I was.  

That’s when I removed my shoes so they wouldn’t crunch on the gravel, and tip-toed in my socks, making sure to stay on the bird’s right side. When I was comfortably within arms reach, I rested my hand on its back and applied just enough downward pressure to restrain it, then grabbed hold of its head and bill.

I transferred it to the SPCA wildlife center and it’s scheduled to be evaluated by a veterinary ophthalmologist.

Knowing how vulnerable this bird would be to predators, people or dogs in the park, I was happy that I picked it up.

Got crickets?

Late this afternoon, we received a call from a woman in Kentfield, in Marin County. She had an owl stuck in her chimney - a Western screech owl. It had been stuck there for about 5 days. 

She'd called around and could only find one agency to respond - the Marin Humane Society. 

An officer responded and located the tiny owl - it was above the damper, but when he tried to capture it, it hopped higher, onto the fire box and out of reach.

This was a tricky situation. But, we came up with a plan.

When we need to get close to an animal to capture it, there are two options - go after it, or draw it near. 

In most cases, we'll consider options for luring an animal toward us, rather than chasing after it - for many reasons. Mainly, once you pursue an animal, it will become fearful of you. If you're not successful in your first attempt, you may not get a second.

So, how might we coax a screech owl out of hiding? 

We know it is hungry. Very hungry! We know screech owls eat insects (among other things), and it would be attracted to insect-like movement.

Got crickets?

It was late in the day - nearly 5PM. We instructed the RP (reporting party) to quickly find a pet store that sold live crickets and purchase a handful of them. Place them in a see-through container and set it in the fireplace.

Off she went.


She was back in no time, with a bag of excitedly chirping crickets. As she made her way into the den, the owl popped down into the fireplace. 

It literally popped through the damper opening as I was approaching with the bag of crickets...I hadn't even opened the bag, but they were chirping loudly!

With the owl reachable, the Marin Humane Society responded and successfully captured it. It was transferred to WildCare for evaluation and care.

THANK YOU MARIN HUMANE SOCIETY 

FOR RESCUING THE SCREECH OWL!

A reminder to all homeowners: Accidents like these can be easily prevented by making sure chimney spark arresters are installed properly and in good condition. A simple step to help keep your home and wildlife safe!

If you'd like to be notified of Wildlife Search and Rescue classes offered in your area, please email us.

Find out how to safely respond to wildlife emergencies in Wildlife Search and Rescue: a Guide for First Responders, written by our director, Rebecca Dmytryk.

Celebrity joins the campaign

By Rebecca Dmytryk

Photo courtesy of David Sikes

Earlier this week I received an email from David Sikes, former bassist and vocalist for the rock band, Boston. He said he'd seen the news coverage about our petition on KPIX, and wanted to help spread the word.

He went on to tell me that, ironically, he'd just recently seen a Yoplait commercial featuring one of his band's songs - More Than a Feeling. David was shocked, as he and his fellow band members had always been supportive of animal rights.  

David may not have had a say in the licensing of that song, but he did have something to say about the Yoplait yogurt cup, and was very willing to go on camera to share his views. Here is the KPIX Piece (below), or at this link, HERE.

This was a real boost for our campaign. We're so grateful to David for speaking up and out! THANK YOU DAVID!

To date, we have received over 37,000 signatures, and counting. At one point, we were receiving about 10 signatures a minute!

No word yet from General Mills, though, other than their canned response.

I don't get it. Why are they so resistant to do the right thing - to be the good guy here? 

They already sell Original Yoplait in safer cups (limited availability). All the work - the design, labeling, manufacturing has been done, so, what's stopping them from dropping the hazardous container? 

Is it all about image?

For sure, the cone-shaped design is branding - it's their mark. You see a cone-shaped yogurt container and you know it's Yoplait. So, as long as they believe consumers associate the cone-shaped cup with their yogurt, they will be resistant to give it up.

It is our job, then, to turn this around so that the cone-shaped cup is associated with the shameless harming of wildlife. To the point where General Mills will never again want to be associated with it!

Are you with me? Good. 



Here are some helpful links.

Direct link to the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/for-35-years-yoplait-cups-have-been-killing-wildlife

Direct link to our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Yoplait.Cups.Kill.Wildlife