By Lindsey Goodwick

Redstone Review

LONGMONT – There are some things you can always expect practicing wildlife rehab in Colorado. The baby squirrels always arrive in early spring, followed by the barrage of baby birds and baby raccoons that hurry in after. But wildlife rehabilitation isn’t all about the cute and fuzzy; it’s also about being prepared for the unexpected.

So it was last month when we received from a wastewater treatment plant in Brighton four mallards that were saturated in a foreign substance. They came in four separate boxes, and when we opened the boxes we found that they were unrecognizable. Their feathers were drenched in a sticky, black coating; their bills were impacted with oil. They were immediately rushed into triage where they were examined and prepared for their washing.

The ducks turned the water black as the oil fell off the feathers as they were gently caressed. A second wash bath turned dark as well and this process was repeated until we were sure we had

rid the birds of as much oil as possible. They was placed under a heat lamp and carefully observed after being given a dose of charcoal to absorb any oil ingested, a concern since these ducks preen themselves dry.

For the next few days, baths would be on the staff’s agenda for these four birds until the water was able to bead off. Ducks have a waterproofing coating their feathers, which is compromised when they’re soiled by a foreign substance. Soiling can inhibit the duck’s ability to stay afloat, so access to swim time was denied to them for the time being.

Eventually the ducks were clean and given the opportunity to try out Greenwood’s waterfowl ponds. They immediately took to the water and started splashing about, preening themselves and throwing back their heads to swallow clean water. As soon as they were deemed healthy by Greenwood’s vet, they were ready for release and turned loose onto a pond provided by a generous family who had donated their family’s land as a release site for rehabilitated patients.

Success! Release day is the final step in wildlife rehabilitation where all the hard work put in by staff and volunteers pays off. We are fortunate to have a strong, dedicated team who are committed to the welfare of temporarily compromised animals. Because as soon as those four leave, another four or more can come through the door. Spring and summer at Greenwood is non-stop. We thank all those who support us and welcome you to get involved if you haven’t already. We are looking for volunteers and release sites; information on both can be found at www.greenwoodwildlife.org.

Lindsey Goodwick is the Outreach-Education Coordinator for Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

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