PRESS RELEASE

15 February 2006

Wildlife Charity Responds to Oil Spill Risk

It is an often overlooked fact that millions of tonnes of cargo are still carried daily on sea and waterways worldwide, and the River Thames is no exception where over 24 million tonnes of oil is transported annually. There can be no doubt that all the major river systems in Europe, and elsewhere, will be the same.

In response to the potential danger to wildlife and damage to the environment from an oil spill, Wildlife Information Network has collated and published on CD-ROM all of the many advances in oiled wildlife care and rehabilitation in collaboration with government departments, NGOs and oil responders worldwide.

The aims of wildlife response in the event of an oil spill are to prevent animals becoming oiled, clean oiled animals and release them back into the wild fit for continued survival.

Oiled animals must be identified correctly as different species have different husbandry requirements and different susceptibilities to disease. The volume facilitates identification of oiled animals and species-specific requirements in husbandry, handling and disease prevention, as well as advising on good record keeping for individual animal care and for response assessment and improvement. The topics of triage and euthanasia are also addressed, as euthanasia may be the appropriate choice for some animals.

Contingency planning is vital to effective oiled wildlife response, as are adequate facilities and staffing, and good teamwork and command structure. These topics are all considered in detail. Additional pages look at human health and zoonoses, including physical and psychological hazards, and at public education.

A flowchart highlights the essential steps of oiled wildlife response, from assessment of the risks to wildlife when oil is spilled, through containment of the spillage, hazing, pre-emptive capture of animals, oiled wildlife search and collection, initial care during admission and stabilisation, effective cleaning, post-washing rehabilitation, preparation for release, to release of the animals and post-release monitoring.

The external and internal effects on animals of petroleum, vegetable and animal oils are described, as are important secondary diseases to be considered during rehabilitation.

As well as detailing internationally applicable techniques and disease information, the volume reviews habitats at risk from spillage on the commercially busy River Thames in London, UK, and the potential effects of oil spill on both habitats and wildlife victim species.

The volume is completed by an extensive reference library of publications on oiled wildlife response, including contingency planning, the effects of oil and oil spill response on wildlife and habitats, and London's wetland habitats. A directory provides information on local, national and international organisations involved with oil spill response, and with London's wetlands and wildlife.

"Wildlife: Oil Spill Response" is edited by Debra C Bourne MA VetMB PhD MRCVS and Suzanne I Boardman BVMS MRCVS. The CD-ROM costs EURO €50 (GBP £29.95 or USD $50) plus shipping and handling from: http://www.wildlifeinformation.org

ENDS

For further information, please contact Iain Boardman, Chief Executive, Wildlife Information Network, East Midland Zoological Society, Twycross, Warwickshire CV9 3PX. Tel:  +44 (0) 1827 88 11 22 or

e-mail: info@wildlifeinformation.org; Website: www.wildlifeinformation.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Oiled Wildlife Response volume was funded by the Bridge House Trust and Wildlife Information Network and supported by Balcombe Trust, British Airways, Dennis Curry Charitable Trust, Great North Eastern Railway, Marsh Christian Trust, Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society and The Royal Veterinary College. The cover image is by photographer Richard Norman.
   
   
2. The Wildlife Information Network (WIN) is a charity dedicated to making information on the health and management of captive and free-ranging wild animals and emerging infectious diseases available to wildlife professionals and decision-makers worldwide. WIN was set up in 1992 and became a registered UK charity (No. 1048059) in 1995. The Wildlife Information Network is also registered as a US Not-for-Profit organisation.
   
   
3. Wildpro^® Multimedia is the software developed and used by WIN to provide information on re-emerging infectious diseases and the health and management of captive and free-ranging wild animals on its Electronic Encyclopaedia and Library. It is a living document, with new information being added constantly through the development of new modules. It is researched, developed and published by WIN to provide information to decision-makers worldwide, and users include wildlife managers, researchers, government officials, veterinarians, field biologists, zoologists, laboratory diagnosticians, zoological collections, conservation and welfare organisations, universities, and students of a wide variety of disciplines. Information is made available on the Internet and by CD-ROMs.

WIN CD-ROMs currently available:

• West Nile Virus
• Wildlife: Disease Investigation and Management (Birds)
• Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer and Elk
• Hedgehogs: Health and Management
• Pain Management In Ruminants
• Waterfowl: Health and Management
• Foot-and-Mouth Disease
• Wildlife: First Aid and Care

4. Individual membership of the Wildlife Information Network charity costs £31.50 ($US52.50/€52.50) per annum. This includes one CD-ROM of the subscriber’s choice from the published list for in-field application, plus unlimited single-user access to the password-controlled Web-based electronic encyclopaedia and the electronic library.
   
   Corporate or institutional membership, which includes a 'starter-pack' selection of every CD-ROM published by the charity and copies of all new volumes published during the period of membership, costs £470 per annum (€770) including VAT and postage for EU countries, or USD $675 including postage for the rest of the world. It also entitles holders of institutional subscriptions to nominate a 'sister' institution in a developing country, or 25 individual recipients, who will similarly benefit from full membership of the WIN charity. Applications should be made to info@wildlifeinformation.org.
   
   
5. Copy of the image is available upon request: