Durban — Two Egyptian geese were euthanised due to the severe effects of crude oil exposure.
The geese were rescued from a crude oil bunker and taken to a rehabilitation centre.
SAPS Search and Rescue members rescued the geese last Tuesday. According to the SAPS Facebook page, the members were called to the Durban Harbour to help with an extraordinary rescue at Bayhead where two Egyptian geese were trapped in a crude oil bunker. The geese were rescued and handed over to the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) for treatment.
Reacting to the rescue, Rowan Moses said: “Awesome news. Thank you for caring for the animals SAPS.”
Ras Sanele Makhanya-Mngoma said: “Job well done to all operatives involved.”
Elizah Linda said: “Well done Search and Rescue. Each animal deserves a second chance at life. Every animal deserves respect.”
Speaking to the Daily News, Crow fund-raising and marketing officer Denika Govender said that on Tuesday, August 13, they received a call from Transnet Pipeline workers in the Bayhead area reporting that two Egyptian geese were trapped in an estimated 6-metre-deep crude oil bunker.
“Upon arrival, our team noted that the bunker was indeed 6 metres deep, making it impossible for us to access the geese without assistance. Fortunately, the SAPS Search and Rescue team successfully entered the bunker and retrieved the geese, which were then handed over to us for care,” Govender said.
“They (geese) were completely covered in oil, which had burned patches of skin off their bodies and likely caused organ damage. Moreover, they had been stuck in the bunker for two days, leading to extreme stress that further deteriorated their condition.”
“Unfortunately, we had to humanely euthanise them due to the severe effects of crude oil exposure,” Govender said.
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