Elephant Seal Rescue

May 04, 2008

Elephant seal before rescue ©P.WALLERSTEIN

This is one of the three elephant seal pups rescued today by Marine Animal Rescue. This young seal has a small, but deep wound around his throat area.

The other seals were very thin, tired and also suffered from some small wounds and lacerations.

All the pups were immediately transported to the care center for medical attention.

MAR conducted 59 marine mammal rescues in April.

Peter Wallerstein
Marine Animal Rescue Specialist
Friends of Animals

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Activists watch as UI removes 37 parakeet nests

May 02, 2008

Eggs, some splattered and some intact, litter the ground

The New Haven Register

By Mark Zaretsky, Register Staff

The United Illuminating Co. followed through on its effort to get rid of monk parakeet nests on its electrical equipment Thursday, bringing down 37 nests — and a hail of splattered eggs — in West Haven and Stratford as animal rights activists followed at least one of the crews.

The nest removal, which will continue today, also brought down some additional surprises: several smaller birds’ nests that had been built, apparently by birds other than the bright green monk parakeets, inside much larger monk parakeet nests. The smaller nests in several cases also contained eggs.

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Animal rights group says parakeet nest removal by UI will hurt eggs, chicks

April 29, 2008

The New Haven Register

By Mark Zaretsky, Register Staff

The director of an animal rights group that is battling United Illuminating in court over UI’s efforts to get rid of monk parakeet nests on its equipment blasted the utility Monday for its latest attempt, saying it’s coming too late in the season and could kill incubating eggs and chicks that have not yet learned to fly.

“It’s sinister and insensitive of UI to destroy nests after late March and up until August or later if the birds and their young are expected to survive the nest destruction,” said Priscilla Feral, executive director of Darien-based Friends of Animals.

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Power company evicts birds from power line nests

April 27, 2008

News Channel 12 Connecticut

(04/27/08) STRATFORD - United Illuminating has issued an eviction notice against monk parakeets nesting on their power poles, much to the chagrin of animal advocates.

See video.

The power company intends on taking down more than 60 nests beginning Monday. United Illuminating officials say the birds pose a safety hazard.

“We’ve had power outages, fires caused by these nests,” says spokesperson Al Carbone.

This isn’t the first such incident for the company. In 2005, United Illuminating removed all nests and had the birds destroyed. Friends of Animals, a local animal rights group, took the company to court in 2006 in an attempt to protect the wildlife.

The group’s president, Priscilla Feral, acknowledges the nests must go. However, she says moving the nests now is particularly cruel since it is breeding season. Feral likens the company’s action to throwing a pregnant mother out on the street.

“The parents are capable of flying, the chicks aren’t,” she says. “So they’re doomed, why would you smash the life out of baby chicks?”

Power officials claim the breeding season doesn’t begin until May and defend the actions they’re taking as necessary and not cruel.

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