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Mauritian Oil Spill Threatens Decades of Conservation Efforts

Image: via Mauritian Wildlife Foundation

Grounded Ship Responsible for Mauritius Oil Spill Breaks Apart

Today there are reports that the MV Wakashio, the ship which ran aground off the coast of Mauritius in July,  spilling 1,000s of tonnes of oil, has finally broken apart. Our thoughts remain very much with our colleagues at The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation at this incredibly challenging time.

WVI Veterinary Partner, Andrew Greenwood, is currently advising on the care of the 'insurance' animals which were evacuated from Isle aux Aigrettes and other locations as the situation unfolded. They are now being looked after at the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary in the Black River Gorge region. Andrew is standing by to advise on oiled sea birds or turtles as necessary.

He described his feelings about the tragedy last week:

“Having seen the disastrous effects of oil spills on marine wildlife over decades, I was horrified to hear that the south coast of Mauritius was under threat and already damaged. I am particularly upset by the threat to the Isle aux Aigrettes reserve, where I have worked on visits for 25 years, and which I have seen grow from a barren coral island to a wildlife paradise in that time. And, of course, there must be great concern for the livelihoods of local people in the area and the damage to tourism and the Mauritian economy."

Meanwhile, amazing work is being done by local volunteers who have come together to help, constructing makeshift booms stuffed with straw, tights and even hair, as well as tackling the clean-up.

If you would like to support the work we do in Mauritius and in other places around the globe, please donate here: http://bit.ly/WVIDonate

Find more detail on the situation from The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation here -

https://bit.ly/2Y3W99S