In late July, International Bird Rescue sent response teams to Canada to assist in the capture and rehabilitation of animals impacted by a bitumen release at the Canadian Natural Resources Limited Primrose Project in northeastern Alberta. Our teams worked at two different sites: the lake where oiled wildlife were captured, and the rehabilitation center in Edmonton where the animals were washed and rehabilitated.
At the rehabilitation site, our team worked alongside The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton and the Oiled Wildlife Society of British Columbia to rehabilitate the animals, including beavers, muskrats and many freshwater birds such as ducks, coots and grebes.
As the rehab facility was located about three hours from the spill site, logistics and transport of animals were a daily occurrence and an important component of this response.
The response ended in the first week of November when the weather became freezing and the likelihood of any product impacting animals was considered minuscule.
Below is the list of animals that we cared for in this response. — Jay Holcomb
