Saving wild birds
Part A: two problems
Hu Xiao is a senior high student who shows a great interest in wildlife protection. Today he has got a good chance to interview a volunteer, Alice Brown, from IBRRC.
HX: Hello Alice. I’m so interested in your work saving birds! What do you think is the most difficult part of your work?
AB: Well… I suppose it’s saving wild birds covered in oil. That’s the most difficult of all.
HX: How does that happen?
AB: The oil comes from boats. It floats on the water and covers the bird’s feathers when they swim through it.
HX: That sounds terrible. What do you do about it?
AB: The first thing we do is make sure the bird hasn’t eaten too much oil. When a bird’s covered in oil, it tries to clean itself with its beak. As it does so, the bird eats some oil and becomes sick.
HX: Oh dear! Do the birds always die?
AB: Sometimes…but we try to save them. Birds use their feathers like a raincoat to keep out cold water. When feathers are covered in oil, they stick together and a bird’s skin gets cold in the water. So without help the bird would die of cold!
Part B: the solution
HX: What do you do with those birds?
AB: First, we comfort a bird by feeding it and keeping it warm. Then we clean it. We rub the bird very carefully. We use warm water and a little soap and work quickly as the birds hate being touched.
HX: Is this a difficult job?
AB: Yes, because it’s very important to do the job quickly.
HX: What happens after that?
AB: The birds are kept warm and given a rest.
HX: I suppose after that they want to touch their feathers with their beaks.
AB: Yes, they do. Birds produce a natural oil in their tails and put this over their feathers until they feel better.
HX: Thank you. I’ve learned a lot.
AB: Not at all. It’s been my pleasure.
