If anyone needs a dramatic illustration of the importance of clean water to our wildlife, this poor mallard duck is it. When this duck came to our hospital 5 days ago she was so saturated with black oil that her species was hard to identify. Our staff went right to work to clean her but several dawn baths later, the oil still clings to her feathers. We are hopeful for her recovery but you can see from the last photo that she will need many more treatments to completely remove the oil contaminants. Please be careful with toxic substances near our waterways! Of course, accidents do happen so if you witness a spill please report it right away to the DEC or coast guard.
