Help needed for oil spill birds (From Somerset County Gazette)

Help needed for oil spill birds

12:17pm Wednesday 24th January 2007 in News By Claire Ward-Willis

COUNTY Gazette readers are this week being asked for help in treating oil-stricken birds at the RSPCA's animal centre near Taunton.

We are launching Operation Guillemot as the West Hatch centre treats hundreds of birds covered in oil when the MSC Napoli cargo ship was beached off the East Devon coast last week.

All week the centre has been cleaning up the birds, mainly guillemots, which have washed ashore along the coast of east Devon and Dorset covered in oil, but they are running short of clean sheets and towels to keep the birds dry.

As well as hundreds of guillemots 10 razorbills and one kittiwake have also been treated by the centre.

And other wildlife has been affected with several dead dolphins found washed ashore and some seals are known to have been affected by the oil.

Rupert Griffiths, centre manager, said: "We are expecting to need more supplies at least for the next few days and probably for the next week so any help people can give will be wonderful.

"We do not know how many more birds we will be getting in, but we can take in about 150 more at the moment."

County Gazette editor-in-chief Ken Bird said: "Over the Gazette's 170 years we have supported many worthwhile local causes and have had a great response from our readers.

"We are confident that everyone will rally round to help save birds and other wildlife affected by this tragedy."

The sheets, towels and newspapers can either be bought here to us at the County Gazette offices in St James Street, Taunton, or taken directly to the animal centre at West Hatch.

To see more on how the centre is caring for the animal watch our video at www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk