Rescuers aid animals after oil spill

At least 25,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from a pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach, which is southeast of Los Angeles. Responders with the University of California-Davis–led Oiled Wildlife Care Network worked to save 34 birds recovered alive, as well as a North Atlantic right whale and a western side-blotched lizard also found oiled but alive, according to data from UC-Davis. The responders also recovered the carcasses of 82 birds, six marine mammals, and at least nine fish.

UC-Davis information indicates the spill occurred between birds’ nesting season and migratory season, when relatively few birds were living nearby.

The UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine leads and manages the network in a partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. (Photos courtesy of UC-Davis)