Pendoley Environmental staff attend Wildlife Rehabilitation course
When planning and responding to oiled wildlife in the unlikely event of an oil spill it is important to understand the complexities of wildlife rehabilitation. Pendoley Environmental staff attended the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) two-day 'Basic Course in Wildlife Rehabilitation' to gain greater insight into how rehabilitation can be integrated into Oiled Wildlife Preparedness and Response arrangements.
Dr Andrew Morgan, Senior Marine Scientist, said ‘it’s not just a matter of setting up an Oiled Wildlife Facility for birds; we have to consider the needs of various species in North West Australia along the coast and offshore, including time frames and a treatment regime around rehabilitation that may exist well beyond demobilisation of such facilities’. From turtles, lizards and snakes to bird species including raptors, and a variety of mammals, rehabilitation can take many months.
Anna Lewis, Senior Environmental Scientist, said ‘use of specialists and wildlife care networks, and NGO facilities, is critical in filling the gap between Tiered spill response, escalation, and the need to set up a full wildlife facility in the event of a major spill’. Dr Andrew Morgan went on to say ‘even if not oiled, it’s a long process (rehabilitation) for injuries, especially for turtles, lizards and raptors, and the animals will need a pre-release home after demobilisation’.