Rehabilitated gulls free to fly again
RESCUE OPERATION: Birds caught in vat of tofu waste
Dozens of seagulls rescued earlier this month after being stuck in a vat of tofu waste were released back into the wild on Wednesday morning.
The rescue is being called the “largest single rescue and rehabilitation operation” in the Wildlife Rescue Association’s history with 62 gulls rescued, cleaned and nursed back to full health this month.
On March 11, the WRA was called to an alleyway in East Vancouver where a number of seagulls had become caught in a vat of tofu waste behind a tofu processing plant. The vat’s grid cover was large enough to allow birds to enter, but did not allow birds to fly back out. The grid was initially put in place to prevent thieves from taking the waste to use as fertilizer.
Many of the birds stuck in the vat were covered in waste, while one suffered a broken wing and several suffered eye irritations.
“Birds require waterproof feathers to survive, but with the fibrous residue sticking to their feathers, they were at risk from hypothermia if released back to the wild,” read a statement released by the WRA. “Last week, staff and trained volunteers at the WRA Wildlife Hospital launched a massive three-day wash operation to clean the birds to restore their feather conditioning.”
Following the wash, the birds spent several days preening their feathers “back to their natural alignment.” After the gulls were evaluated by wildlife rehabilitators, rescuers were given the green light to release the birds in New Brighton Park, close to where they were found.
The cost of rescuing the birds was $26,000. Superior Tofu, the factory behind which the birds were rescued, will be making a donation to the rescue operation.
“Superior Tofu is going to be making a generous donation, but it is very difficult for a small family business to support the full cost of the rescue,” said Coleen Doucette, the WRA’s executive director.
“We definitely need help from the wider community so that we can recoup our costs and make sure we have all our resources ready for the start of the baby bird season, which is one of our busiest times of the year.”
For more information on how to donate to the WRA, visit www.wildliferescue.ca.