June 23rd marks the 25th anniversary of the Merchant Vessel (MV) Treasure Spill – the largest and most successful wildlife emergency response in history. In the year 2000, when the spill occurred off the coast of South Africa, over 20,000 African Penguins were oiled and in urgent need of care.
We invite you to watch a special multi-part series reflecting on the early days of the response, featuring first-hand accounts from Barbara Callahan, Mark Russell, and Russ Curtis – three long-time members of the International Bird Rescue team who faced the heartbreaking sight of thousands of oil-soaked penguins. Their stories offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the urgency, uncertainty, and determination that defined those first critical days.
We are deeply grateful to our partners South African National Center for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), who led the local response and brought decades of seabird rehabilitation expertise, and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), who provided vital funding and logistical support to mobilize international responders. The collective leadership and collaboration among these organizations were instrumental in achieving a remarkable 90% release rate – and in setting a new global standard for wildlife emergency response.