The case in summary Hundreds of loon cubs were found in a fragile state last autumn. Biologist Jan Ingar Båtvik and other volunteers have looked after the birds for ten months, feeding them and training them to swim again. The population of puffins has decreased by 85-90 per cent in the last 45 years, mainly due to less food in the sea and more onshore winds. Volunteers have started the group Fuglehjelpen to help loons who need help. The rehabilitation of the lomvies has taken ten months, during which the birds have been bathed regularly to adapt to the salt water. The animal rights organization Noah urges that the rehabilitation of animals should be done in consultation with a veterinarian, in accordance with the law. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – What is happening now is that they are experiencing a new freedom, says Jan Ingar Båtvik as he releases the loons into the sea. The biologist has been taking care of the auks since October. Then they washed ashore along the Oslo Fjord, starving and with a plumage that was not waterproof. Jan Ingar Båtvik is a biologist and volunteer at Fuglehjelpen. Photo: Sebastian Nordli/news Båtvik was quick to take them under his wing. – It was quite dramatic. Many already died during the transport. Since then, the animal friend has fed the surviving birds and trained them to be able to swim in the sea again. The baby loons have been released as they have become waterproof. Photo: Odd Skjerdal / news Critically endangered The population of loons has decreased by 85-90 per cent in the last 45 years. That is because there has been less food in the sea, and more onshore wind that blows the birds on land. – It is tough to stay at sea when there is a persistent storm and gale from one direction, explains Båtvik. – Then it is easy to lose strength. Facts about the gannet Photo: Trond Berg / news The gannet is the super diver among seabirds. The body is specially built to withstand dives deeper than 160 meters underwater. Weight: 900 – 1300g, is the largest of the conifers. Age: The highest registered age is 42 years. Red list status: Critically endangered. About 90% of the Norwegian population has disappeared since the 1980s. As more puffins have washed ashore, more volunteers have decided to contribute to the rehabilitation. Rescued by volunteers Together with other volunteers, Båtvik has therefore started the group Fuglehjelpen. Every year they take in wolverines that need help. After almost a year in rehabilitation, the lomvies now weigh one kilogram each. Photo: Jan Ingar Båtvik – If the man in the street finds a loon on land, he can put it in a box and come to us. However, he warns against looking after the animals yourself. – Many of the birds we last took in have been washed, ravaged and scrubbed. Therefore, they have been very playful. A seabird must be waterproof. If a marmoset is rubbed, their microstructure can be destroyed. A long process The rehabilitation of the lomvies found in the Oslo Fjord has taken ten months. Jan Ingar Båtvik and others in Fuglehjelpen have bathed the birds regularly – first in a pool and then in the sea. In this way, they have had plenty of time to adapt to the salt water. Jan Ingar Båtvik follows the lomvies’ journey from land. Most have been ring marked. Photo: Odd Skjerdal / news – They have been released as they have become stronger, says Båtvik. Most likely, these loons come from England and North-West Germany. Now those years take off from the Årefjord in Moss and out towards the Atlantic Ocean. – It is a kind of end point of a very long process. Noah: – Rehabilitation of animals should become more common Siri Martinsen, veterinarian and leader of the animal rights organization Noah, is happy that more people are getting involved in rescuing marsupials. But she asks people to make sure it’s done the right way. Siri Martinsen warns against caring for birds without biological expertise. Photo: Ingeborg Undheim / news – It can be problematic for individuals without veterinary medical or biological expertise to bring birds home. She also warns against force-feeding hungry marmots without professional expertise. – What you should do when you have taken a loon with you is to contact a vet or an aid organisation, adds Martinsen. After ten months on land, these loon cubs finally get to come home again. Photo: Odd Skjerdal / news The birds may find the situation frightening, but they adapt quickly when the rehabilitation starts. – Anyone who rehabilitates wild animals must do so in consultation with a veterinarian, in accordance with the law. Published 28.08.2024, at 21.17
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Here, the lomvies are released into the Årefjord after a year of rehabilitation on land – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
