Crews Prepare for Wildlife Cleanup after Oil Spill

Mobile wildlife rescue units are ready to take care of any birds and animals affected by the huge oil spill in coastal Louisiana.

Wildlife, shellfish beds and beaches are in great peril as the United States scrambles to ward off an environmental disaster that could cost billions of dollars and cause untold ecological damage to the region.

The first bird contaminated by the oil spillage was brought to a bird rescue unit where it looked visibly shaken. Doctors are monitoring its progress.

[Sarah Tegtmeier, Tri State Bird Rescue and Research]:
"He was brought here. We medically stabilized him which means making sure he is hydrated both with intravenous fluids as well as pedialyte orally. Our vet is giving him a close look over, taking small blood samples, making sure there is nothing else wrong with him except for being contaminated with oil."

The rescue crews expect more animals at the mobile unit in the next few days. Tegtmeier and her colleagues are looking to rescue as many animals and birds as they possibly can.

[Sarah Tegtmeier, Tri State Bird Rescue and Research]:
"It all depends on how quickly they come into this center and getting them through the wash process. We have not seen any animals yet so we don't know what condition they are in. But we are working very hard to make sure that everything is taken care of."

The Gulf Coast and its marshlands are home to hundreds of species of wildlife, including manatees, sea turtles, dolphins, porpoises, whales, otters, pelicans and other birds.

The Gulf teems with shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish and supports a $1.8 billion fishing industry second only to Alaska.

Oil is pouring out at a rate of up to 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day. Forecasters say the spill could affect Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida in coming days.

The Coast Guard received reports from the public saying edges of the 120-mile (193-km) oil slick had reached Louisiana’s outlying Pass-a-Loutre wildlife reserve on the fringes of the Mississippi Delta.