Oiled Wildlife Response
(with particular reference to the River Thames)

ISBN: 0-9547185-9-3

Editors:
Debra C Bourne MA VetMB PhD MRCVS
Suzanne I Boardman BVMS MRCVS

The aims of wildlife response in the event of an oil spill are: 1) to prevent wild animals from becoming oiled; 2) to clean oiled animals and to release them back into the wild fit for continued survival. Over the past several years there have been many advances in oiled wildlife care and rehabilitation and this volume brings together the best practices that have been developed worldwide.

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. The volume's central flowchart takes the reader through oiled wildlife response, from Assessment of the situation when oil is spilled and wildlife may be impacted, through Prevention of Oiling by oil containment, hazing, or pre-emptive capture of animals, to oiled wildlife Search and Collection, initial care during Admission and Stabilisation, effective Cleaning of oiled animals, post-washing rehabilitation in Preparation for Release, through to Release of the animals and Post-Release Monitoring.

It is essential to identify oiled animals correctly; different species have different husbandry requirements and different susceptibilities to disease: Species Identification and Special Considerations covers identification of oiled animals and species-specific requirements in husbandry, handling and disease prevention. Good Records are important for individual animal care and for response assessment and improvement. Finally, the topic of Triage and Euthanasia is discussed, since euthanasia may be the appropriate choice for some animals.

There are pages on petroleum, vegetable oils and animal oils, their external and internal effects on animals, and important secondary diseases to consider during oiled wildlife rehabilitation.

In addition to internationally applicable techniques and disease information, this volume provides information on habitat types along the River Thames in London, UK which may be oiled, and on potential effects of both oil and oil spill response on those habitats, and on species which might be oiled by a spill on this large and commercially busy river.

The volume is completed by an extensive 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.

Acknowledgements

Editors: Debra C Bourne and Suzanne I Boardman.

The Oiled Wildlife Response volume was funded by the Bridge House Trust and Wildlife Information Network.

It was 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.