Durban - The uShaka Sea World animal health team have admitted a juvenile Indian yellow-nosed albatross that was stranded on the deck of a boat in the Durban Harbour.
The bird would have been unable to lift off because it needed a long ‘runway’ in order to lift itself in the air.
uShaka’s Ann Kunz said the bird was admitted over the weekend and named Emily.
“We received a call from the port authorities to say that Emily was found sitting on the upper deck of a cargo vessel which had recently entered the Durban Harbour,” Kunz said.
She said Emily was full of energy and her physical condition appeared to be good. It was thought that she had taken it upon herself to rest on the deck of the boat while it was out in the pelagic ocean.
“Unfortunately, because albatrosses need a long “runway” to lift themselves into the air, and the deck of a boat is totally unsuited to this type of lift-off, she would have found herself stranded on the deck of the boat,” Kunz explained.
“We are offering supportive care until we are in a position to take her out to sea and release her.”
Kunz said that yellow-nosed albatrosses were magnificent pelagic birds found throughout the southern Indian Ocean and were listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List due to the decline in their numbers as a result of interactions with fishery activities and disease.
“When next you are shopping for frozen fish, please look for the MSC logo on the box to ensure that the fish you are consuming has been sustainably harvested,” Kunz said.
Daily News