Birds and Marine Wildlife / 75age. Washed birds are placed in warm air dryers, then in warm
water, followed by cool water. Rescuers monitor them closely dur-
ing the recovery process. Before release, the birds must demon-
strate that they have regained their waterproofi ng by staying afl oat.
Their feathers must be able to keep moisture away from their bod-
ies. After passing this test, birds are banded (in the United States,
by the Fish and Wildlife Service) and released. Where the habitat
remains contaminated, birds and animals must be relocated before
release.
One of the challenges facing wildlife rescue organizations is to
bring the plight of animals to public awareness without prompt-
ing the involvement of untrained but well-intentioned citizen res-
cuers. Birds and animals are the most innocent victims of an oil
spill. However, they are usually wary of humans, and handling can
add stress to injuries already suffered. Moreover, because birds
and other wildlife must eventually be released, improper handling
can have a negative effect on their ability to return to their envi-
ronment. In the United States, state and federal laws protect wild-
life species. Wildlife rehabilitators hold state and federal permits
(through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and many have local
certifi cation, too.
Media images of blackened birds and animals, dead and dying
along an oil-fouled shore, drive public support for rescue activi-
ties. This support would intensify during the Exxon Valdez incident,
when the sea otter emerged as media star and metaphor. How-
ever, media coverage and public support had the unintended con-
sequence of making otters more vulnerable by impeding the very
activities they sought to encourage.
The Exxon Valdez
Just after midnight on March 24, 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez
struck a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than
11 million gallons of crude oil, equal to 257,000 barrels. Lacking a
reference point to visualize such volume, I went searching for an
equivalent, but even picturing 125 Olympic-size swimming pools