Oiled Pelicans First Rinsed With More Oil Before Getting A Bath - NOLA.com

[WillyT]

Oiled pelicans first rinsed with more oil before getting a bath
By The Associated Press
May 15, 2010, 6:02PM


Erica Miller, left, Heather Nevill, center and Danene Birtell clean a Brown Pelican
Saturday at the Fort Jackson Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Buras, La.
The bird was rescued after being exposed an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
caused by the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil platform more than three weeks ago.

<snip>

The bird bath to remove crude oil started with a canola oil rinse. The lighter oil helped break up the crude blackening the brown pelican from beak to tail, bird rescuer Rebecca Dunne explained to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Saturday.

The bird was still black as it went into the first of four deep sinks full of soapy water at pelican body heat of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Even beak and pouch had to be soaped and rinsed, to keep the bird from swallowing more oil or getting oil back onto its feathers by post-bath preening.

It was a job for three people. At times, one held the beak, another held the body and a third held a wing outstretched for scrubbing or rinsing. All wore bright blue waterproof suits, yellow, shoulder-length waterproof gloves and rubber boots. Their shirts and pants were wet after the 35-minute bath and rinse -- sweat, said Dunne, of Newark, Del.-based Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, contracted by BP to lead the operation.

She said it can take 45 minutes and 300 gallons of water to wash a pelican.

<snip>

More: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/oiled_pelicans_first_rinsed_wi.html

:shrug:

[Billy Burnett]

1. Bless these kind people.

:hug:

[gimama]

2. 3 people, 45 mins, & 300 gallons of Water

per Pelican.

I don't even have words.

fYi,
the Environmental Defense Fund, & care2.com, have other ways to help.

[fasttense]

5. Most birds die within 10 days after having been cleaned of oil. n/t

[Karenina]

7. For a 2% survival rate...

[sailor65]

3. Not surprising at all

If you've spent a lot of time working on your own car, you've probably learned that the best way to break up the hard grease on your hands is with a lighter weight oil before hitting the GoJo. It works like a charm.

[Jamastiene]

9. Thanks for the tip.

I've worked on my own car some and my sister's car, but usually just use the GoJo.

[madrchsod]

4. the problem is....where are they going to live?

[Festivito]

6. Is this where the Cheney family goes?

Of course not. They're probably sitting around his hideout making fun of good people.

[frustrated_lefty]

8. No, that would be Barbara Bush making fun

Cheney would just shoot 'em in the face.

[MattBaggins]

10. I do this all the time

If I have working on the car or using paints; I rub my hands down with olive oil before using soap.