A horrible accident with a New Zealand cargo ship has caused devastation to marine life with crude oil spilling onto the ocean. The race is on to save the marine life that is being threatened by the oil. Australia, with their vast experience in saving animals, especially endangered animals has stepped in to help the Kiwis.
Experts have already saved over one thousand animals, although the scope of the oil spill is so massive, there are still many more at risk.The 47,000 ton cargo ship appears to have run aground due to human error. More than 350 tonnes of oil have spilled to the water and there is the hovering threat of even more oil leaking. Also aggravating the problem is the debris that has contaminated the water and also become a threat to birds and animals alike.
What happens when an animal is covered with oil or ingests the oil by mistake? Why is it so dangerous to their survival?
First of all, the oil is heavy and will prevent the animal from swimming or flying. This means grave danger from drowning. Secondly, is oil seeps into the porous skin of animals, it will poison them and cause them to die. A third reason why the oil is dangerous to animals and plants is because it has a strong toxic odor that could poison them and infect their lungs. If they try to clean the oil from their body, they will end up eating some of the oil and this will cause them to die.
Finally, an oil spill is difficult to clean up and it will not be something that can be done overnight. Oil has a tendency to spread, making it difficult to contain. This isn’t the worst case of an oil spill, but there are no easy cases. Neither are there less serious cases because oil spill has potentially devastating effects on animal, plants, and economies.
The oil spill in New Zealand could have been prevented. There is talk that the captain decided to take a short cut hoping to save on time. Unfortunately, his decision was wrong. Time will deal with the captain but for now, it’s more about saving lives than pointing fingers.
What happens when an animal is covered with oil or ingests the oil by mistake? Why is it so dangerous to their survival?
First of all, the oil is heavy and will prevent the animal from swimming or flying. This means grave danger from drowning. Secondly, is oil seeps into the porous skin of animals, it will poison them and cause them to die. A third reason why the oil is dangerous to animals and plants is because it has a strong toxic odor that could poison them and infect their lungs. If they try to clean the oil from their body, they will end up eating some of the oil and this will cause them to die.
Finally, an oil spill is difficult to clean up and it will not be something that can be done overnight. Oil has a tendency to spread, making it difficult to contain. This isn’t the worst case of an oil spill, but there are no easy cases. Neither are there less serious cases because oil spill has potentially devastating effects on animal, plants, and economies.
The oil spill in New Zealand could have been prevented. There is talk that the captain decided to take a short cut hoping to save on time. Unfortunately, his decision was wrong. Time will deal with the captain but for now, it’s more about saving lives than pointing fingers.
