| Dr. Scott Newman, international
wildlife coordinator for avian influenza within the Food &
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, has confirmed there
is no substantiation that wild birds are culpable for the spread of
the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from Asia to Europe, Africa and the
Middle East. Speaking earlier this year at the Bangkok International
Conference on Avian Influenza, he also said there is no evidence
that wild birds are a reservoir for the virus, as many scientists
first suspected. Carriage of H5N1 across large scale spatial
distances, spreading to other birds and causing mortality in poultry
flocks, has not been identified, Dr. Newman told the media. He also
emphasized the need to direct attention to other factors, such as
the poultry trade, and he recognized smuggling in particular, which
may be spreading and sustaining the often-fatal disease.
"Wet" Markets Now Closed in
Taiwan
As of April, Taiwan's cruel "wet"
markets, at which live poultry are sold and slaughtered, are no
longer legal. Horrific conditions typical at these markets were
documented and exposed through a campaign by the World Society for
the Protection of Animals |and the Environment and Animal Society of
Taiwan. Stacked in cages on top of each other, animals often
struggled to move with broken wings and legs, and many were thrown
into scalding tanks to be de-feathered alive. The ban will also help
prevent the spread of avian flu.
Little Penguin, Long Life
 |
|
Little penguins await pool rehabilitation after the 1995 Iron Baron
oil spill off the coast of Tasmania.
Australian
Maritime Safety Authority |
On July 10, 1995, a ship named the
Iron Baron grounded on Tasmania's Hebe Reef at the entrance to the
nearby Tamar River, spilling 600,000 lbs. of fuel oil into the sea.
Though many thousands of animals died as a result, including 10,000
to 20,000 penguins, a large wildlife
rehabilitation program established close to the site was
instrumental in saving many of the impacted species. One survivor, a
Little penguin, was successfully rehabilitated and lived until this
year-surviving more than twice as long as the typical 6.5 year life
expectancy for the species. According to a band fitted to the
penguin at the center, the animal was brought in as an adult,
weighing 1.7 lbs., and released about two weeks later at 2.1 lbs. He
continued to live in the area for over 12 years, and his body was
found less than five miles from where he was released.
"It is an incredibly valuable
record to get as it highlights that the massive wildlife
rehabilitation efforts that are put in after oil spills can
certainly be effective in reducing the impacts of a spill," said
Rehabilitation Manager Mark Holdsworth, noting that over 100
volunteers assisted the efforts to clean, feed and house
approximately 2,000 Little penguins taken in after the spill. Unless
seabirds are treated immediately, even small amounts of oil on their
plumage can be
lethal, as it may cause drowning, hypothermia or acute toxicity,
explained Dr. Rosemary Gales, head of wildlife and marine
conservation at the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and
Water. |
