With the end of 2017 approaching, we thought this was a good time to tell the story of how one of our long-time clients, BP, came through this year in a big way. Our partner went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that three 4-week-old Cackling Geese were taken care of after accidentally falling into an oil pit on the North Slope of Alaska. The goslings somehow managed to make their way through the secure netting over a protected pit, ending up in a pool of oil. Once they were discovered, BP’s on-call emergency spill responders—who receive wildlife training from us annually—were immediately contacted. They were able to remove the birds from the pit, stabilize them, and then transfer them by air to the Alaska Wildlife Response Center (AWRC), our turnkey facility in Anchorage.
The goslings were met at the airport by our Response Services Manager, Michelle Bellizzi, who initiated our oiled-bird protocol while rushing them to the AWRC. Once at the AWRC, the goslings were medically stabilized for several days to get them healthy enough to withstand the rigors of cleaning. Once clean, the birds were moved to a reconditioning and waterproofing pool. For most of the next two weeks, Michelle worked with the birds to resolve chemical skin burns and help the birds reestablish their waterproofing. Also during this time, the birds were temporarily housed at The Bird Treatment and Learning Center, a partner organization in Anchorage that was able to provide them with a secure waterproofing pool for several days. Once the birds were back at the AWRC, the final waterproofing was established. Then, after meeting stringent release criteria, the birds were flown on BP’s daily charter flight up to their home in Prudhoe Bay and released into the wild!
Many resources go into rehabilitating oiled and/or injured wildlife, and that’s one of the reasons we’re so grateful for our partnerships. BP kindly paid for all of the birds’ expenses and rehabilitation, making it possible for us to save these sweet little goslings. We are continuously inspired by these relationships, and we are always pleased when communities and corporations get involved and engage in helping us protect wildlife. It truly does take a village, and we are happy to have the one we have!