Thirteen birds died and Broughshane Waterfowl Park closed after a vandalised home heating oil tank leaked kerosene into the pond.
Resident birds have now returned to the 13-year-old attraction in County Antrim. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency was first alerted to the contamination on Thursday 22 October. Inspectors deployed oil absorbent booms and other containment measures after confirming the damage to the waters, as reported by The UK Pulse.
Police have appealed for information regarding the vandalism at the nearby property. BBC News NI noted that the NIEA identified the substance as home heating oil, or kerosene, tracing it directly to a nearby tank. Flooding the previous evening had submerged bird enclosures, allowing oil to enter the affected areas through the drainage system.
Three directly impacted pens housed five swans alongside ducks and geese.
More than 20 birds were transported to the USPCA’s headquarters for urgent specialist care. The USPCA veterinary team provided round-the-clock care at no charge to the charity.
Wildlife supervisor Siobhan Hawthorn explained that the animals required immediate bathing and treatment due to heavy contamination, alongside doses of charcoal to combat ingested toxins, according to Yahoo News.
Envirolink added that because birds are good at hiding illness, staff won’t know the full extent of the harm for some time. The incident has placed considerable emotional and mental strain on USPCA staff.
Losses included two Trumpeter swans and more than ten ducks. BBC News NI reported that geese, ducks, and swans were among the affected species.
Hawthorn noted that some birds had ingested too much kerosene before reaching the centre. The centre remains uncertain about the duration of care required for the surviving birds.
She described the toll on the team. She stated that they were doing everything the can
to care for the remaining animals.
Park management later stated on social media, We are truly grateful for everything you have done.
Broughshane Environment Wildfowl and Wildlife Trust chairman Gary Hayward described the incident as a nightmare
in coverage by Envirolink.
Gary Hayward described the incident as a nightmare. He added that people need to be fully aware of what impact it can have if somebody vandalises a heating containers and tanks.
Hayward recounted to Envirolink that a volunteer arriving to feed the birds one Thursday morning smelled kerosene and found the park’s black swans completely oiled.
The park has since reopened to visitors. It supports 120 collection birds as well as wild species.
Work is still underway to address the oil contamination. A number of pens remain out of bounds while pond decontamination efforts continue.
Because the majority of the recovering animals are non-native species, they cannot return to the park until the pond reaches complete cleanliness.
Park management also paid tribute to public support on social media. They stated, It’s another positive step forward for our park, and we couldn’t have got here without you.
