THE Isle of Wight’s Monkey Haven has announced that a pair of rescued razorbills it cared for have been released back to the sea near St Catherine’s Lighthouse, where they were originally found.
The birds were found washed up on a beach covered in oil last month but were luckily spotted and taken to Carisbrooke Vets.
After a check-up and many washes to remove the oil, the Newport-based Primate Rescue Centre was asked to rehabilitate them until they recovered enough to back out to sea.
The Haven’s keepers got to work, organising daily deliveries of fresh sandeels for their breakfast and dinner.
They also ferried them to the RSPCA’s pool so they could practice swimming – temporarily borrowing it to monitor the birds’ progress.
Week by week, the birds regained their strength and beads of water started running off their feathers again – a sign that their waterproofing, vital for their release, was coming back.
Look who’s been swimming!💦
— Monkey Haven🐵 (@MonkeyIOW) January 22, 2023
The rescued Razorbills are spending more time in the pool, building strength & staying afloat, meaning their feathers are much more waterproof now.
A few more swims & we’ll be happy their rehab is complete before release🤞🏻💙https://t.co/hSTWKeSbuo pic.twitter.com/xNqfFQHI4Q
After six weeks of full-on care, they were both finally ready to go back to the wild.
A spokesperson for the Monkey Haven said: “We’re so proud of our amazing team of keepers for the incredible care and attention they gave the Razorbills’ throughout the six weeks of rehabilitation.
“This was in addition to the hard work they put in every single day, looking after all the rescued animals at the Haven – you did it, and we couldn’t be prouder!”
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