Out of the four collared kingfishers that were rescued in the aftermath of the Jun. 14 oil spill in Singapore, two have died.
The other two are currently being treated, said the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).
One is being treated by NParks, and the other by Acres.
But it's not a simple process.
Treating the birds
Anna Wong, group director at NParks, explained to Mothership that the survival rate for these birds is "low even with prompt veterinary intervention".
This is because of stress and accidental ingestion of oil, which is toxic to the birds, she said.
As of Jun. 19, NParks rescued two kingfishers, which were examined and treated with fluids and pain relief.
Their mouths, eyes, and nasal areas areas were also cleaned, and they were subsequently hand-fed and slowly washed with detergent and warm water to avoid stress.
Despite these efforts, one of the birds could not be saved and ended up passing away.
Acres similarly rescued two kingfishers — one at Marina Keppel Bay and another at Lazarus Island — but the former has since died.
The other is "doing OK for now", said Kalai Vanan, co-CEO of Acres.
He previously explained that cleaning must be done in stages and can be a lengthy process.
Birds can also lose their feathers' water-proofing abilities in the process, which may increase the amount of time needed for them to recover and is not ideal.
An oil-slicked kingfisher. Photo from Acres
After being rescued. It's being cleaned in phases — a necessary but potentially stressful process. Photo from Acres
Being fed a worm. Video from Acres
This is what the collared kingfisher looks like normally:
Photo by Keita Sin, via Birds of Singapore website.
No significant impact to some areas: NParks
In the meantime, NParks is closely tracking the immediate impact of the spill on Singapore's marine habitats.
Biodiversity surveys have so far revealed no significant impact on the marine life at St John's Island and Lazarus Island.
"NParks will continue to monitor the recovery of these marine habitats post impact, as well as assess if habitat restoration efforts are required," Wong said.
She added that the board will also explore activating volunteers for post-cleanup intertidal surveys.
On other wildlife that might have been affected, Kalai said that they have received reports about monitor lizards and otters being affected.
However, they were still mobile and active, and did not appear to be stranded.
Kalai added that otters have previously been seen cleaning themselves.
Caveating that he isn't an expert, Kalai said that monitor lizards also would likely have a better chance of survival as they can remain mobile unless "heavily coated" with oil, and can also burrow into tight spaces to help loosen the oil from their skin.
If you encounter an oil-slicked animal, you can contact NPark's Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600 (24-hours) or Acres at 9783 7782 (avoid 1am-7am).
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Top image from Acres