OILY THE BEAVER IS BACK TO FLUFFY SELF AFTER VOLUNTEERS RESCUE ANIMAL FROM SPILL

Officials see minimal effect on wildlife

The good thing is that it’s crude and not refined oil. It doesn’t have all that man-made chemical.

CAROL KELLY

Ababy beaver hides under a log in a small pen, squeaking quietly when a volunteer picks it up to show visitors at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre in central Alberta.

“Here’s Oily,” says volunteer Holly Thompson, as she holds up the beaver.

Oily, as he’s been affection- ately named by volunteers, is one of four animals rescued from an oil spill that leaked as much as 475,000 litres of oil into the Red Deer River.

His coat is brown and furry after volunteers carefully washed the crude oil off.

Another beaver, an adult female, and two birds — a Canada goose and a crow — were also brought to the centre, a non-profit organization that treats injured and orphaned wildlife.

Executive director Carol Kelly says the animals have been cleaned and appear to be healthy.

“The good thing is that it’s crude and not refined oil,” she says, noting it’s been washing off easily. “It doesn’t have all that manmade chemical.”

Officials with Alberta Environment say the impact on wildlife has been minimal.

“For a spill that size, it’s been fairly small,” says Martin Bundred, consequence manager for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Four dead fish are also being tested to determine whether the spill is a factor, he says.

Plains Midstream Canada says a team of 17 people, including three wildlife biologists and two wildlife technicians, continues to look for affected animals in the area.

They have also put out deterrents along the banks to keep wildlife away from any contaminated areas.

Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald Medicine River Wildlife Centre volunteer Holly Thompson holds “Oily,” a young beaver that was rescued along with other animals from the oil leak near Sundre. Alberta Environment officials say the effect on wildlife was minimal.