The Wildlife Center of Texas has a team of State and Federally permitted and experienced wildlife rehabilitators that can care for all species of birds and mammals including endangered species during an oil spill involving wildlife.
The management team is OSHA certified and ICS trained. The trained staff is prepared to respond to oil spills involving wildlife 24-hours-a-day.
Professionally trained managers handle a major oiled wildlife response that includes state and federal officials, regulatory agencies, local wildlife rehabilitators and local citizens.
Personnel are available to set up an on-scene wildlife response facility, with the option of using the Wildlife Center of Texas.
The Wildlife Center of Texas is on the advisory council for the Texas State Animal Resource Team (TXSART), a program of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation that coordinates preparedness, response and recovery efforts for animals affected by disasters in the state of Texas.
The Wildlife Center now has the following equipment available upon request during an oiled wildlife response:
A Wildlife Center in Houston, TX with capacity to accommodate over 500 adult brown pelicans and veterinary medical assistance.
Response equipment that is stored in 8 “push pact” containers that can be trucked or airlifted anywhere for oiled wildlife response, hurricane response or other wildlife emergencies. The containers include over 3000 various sizes of plastic crates/kennels, 44 large cases of towels, paper towels, trash bags, feeding bowls, etc.
A 38 ft. bus with 24 stainless cages and 2 surgery tables with anesthesia machines for staging, triage or transport of oiled animals to the Wildlife Center. The bus has a generator and is air-conditioned.
A 48 ft. custom built two section enclosed top trailer with a 10,000-watt generator, three air conditioning units and a built-in water tank and fueling station.
A 12 person van for the transportation of personnel and supplies to Oiled Wildlife Response Workshops, Oil Spill and Emergency Response.
The Wildlife Center of Texas personnel have been responding to oiled wildlife since 1984, including the following:
An inland spill in Mississippi in 2000.
A spill in the Houston Ship Channel in September, 2001.
A pipeline spill near Lafitte, Louisiana in April 2002.
A pipeline spill in the barrier islands south of Cocodrie, Louisiana in February 2003.
A pipeline spill in the Natchez, Mississippi area in October 2003.
A pipeline spill in Grand Isle, Louisiana in November 2003.
Pipeline spills in Venice, Louisiana after Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
A spill affecting nesting brown pelicans due to a tropical storm in Louisiana in June 2005.
Several spills in Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.
Largest oil spill in Southwest Louisiana history in the Calcasieu River/Ship Channel.
Two spills in Louisiana in 2007.
A spill in the Mississippi River in New Orleans, LA after a tanker and barge collision in July 2008.
A spill involving brown pelicans after Hurricane Gustav in September 2008.
Fuel oil spill in Galveston, TX after Hurricane Ike in September 2008 affecting osprey and brown pelicans.