IFAW’s Emergency Relief Team starts rescuing wildlife in Chile after Oil Spill

“We received the request of support through Dr. Carlos Guerra, Director of Wildlife Response of Antofagasta University”, said Beatriz Bugeda, Director of IFAW Latin America. “Once we evaluated the magnitude and effects of the event, we activated our Emergency Relief team with specialists from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. Since their arrival they have been caring for the affected animals in the Wildlife Center of the University.”

The ER Team is working shoulder to shoulder with personnel from the University in search and collection of oiled wildlife. There is now no more oil on the water and a recent census identified only 10 oiled birds remaining in the spill area.

“So far we have in care at the University of Antofagasta Wildlife Center 22 Peruvian pelicans (pelecanus thagus), one Humboldt penguin (spheniscus humboldti) and one gull. We haven’t detected any deaths or major impact on marine mammals.,” said Dr. Valeria Ruoppolo, IFAW’s ER Team Coordinator of the response.