And hail marina who was rescued in critical condition on a European island returned to nature this month after having stayed almost half a year under the specialist care.
The reintegration of the wild animal into its natural habitat occurred on July 20according to the conservation organization Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) on its official website.
The bird in question, named Percivalwas released in Guernsey ―an island dependent of the British Crown located in the English Channel― by two GSPCA members.
«Sunny conditions provided the perfect scenario for the return of Percival into the ocean after months of specialized care by the GSPCA team,» asserted the entity in a statement on July 23 after having released the marine animal in the bay of Fontenelleon the north coast of Guernsey.
The story behind the bird’s rescue
He February 17Five months ago, Percival appeared on a beach on the island. This copy of atlantic puffin (Arctic brotherhood) ―a species of bird native to the Atlantic Ocean belonging to the auk family (Alcides)- was covered in oil and was also found extremely weak and exhaustedaccording to the GSPCA.
At the time, the conservation organization hypothesized that Percival, like many other seabirds, may have been victim of one combination of strong storms and environmental disturbances.
«Bad weather exhausts many species of seabirds and makes it extremely difficult for them to foraging. Storms can also remove oil or other deposited contaminants on the seabed, which are then washed into coastal waters. When this oil coats the birds’ feathers, destroys its impermeabilityleaving them exposed to the cold, unable to fly or floatand in danger of poisoning when trying to clean the toxic substance from its plumage,» explained the entity in an announcement on February 19.
In 2022in the context of a similar rescue of another Atlantic puffin, the organization gave additional explanation about the problems that the birds face in these cases.
«It is difficult to know where the oil comes from, but what usually happens is that, during storms, the oil deposited on the seabed is stirred up and, when birds land on the liquid while floating on the surface, they lose the ability to volar and stay floatwhat they prevents hunting and feeding by themselves», said that year the head of GSPCA, Steve Byrne.
Regarding Percival’s case, after being sighted on the beach, she was rescued and later transferred to the GSPCA center, where received emergency care.
«For several months, Percival received intensive treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up at the GSPCA. The team worked tirelessly to recover the state of its plumage and improve your health until it was finally deemed fit enough to return to the wild,» the organization clarified on July 23.
«Although Percival sadly missed this year’s breeding season due to his lengthy rehabilitation, the timing of his release means he can now meet up with your fellow puffins when they leave the Guernsey coast and head to their offshore feeding grounds, where they spend most of their lives in the ocean,» he added.
On the other hand, the supervisor of the organization, Yvonne Chauvelhighlighted the work of his team and also referred to the satisfaction everyone felt when returning the marine animal to nature.
«It was wonderful to see Percival back in his natural habitat. Birds affected by oil require a lot of specialized care and a lot of patienceand it may take weeks or even months before they are ready to be released. We must ensure not only that they are healthy and with a proper weightbut also that their feathers are completely waterproof again. Seeing Percival return to sea was incredibly rewarding for all of us who participate in his care,» Chauvel stated in the July 23 statement.
