Red-faced Picasso finds sanctuary at CROW
The staff at the centre are unsure if the bird was deliberately doused in the paint or if it was a result of an unfortunate accident.
CROW – Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, admitted a Hadeda, fondly named Picasso, on 17 October that had been entirely covered in a red enamel paint.
With the assistance of Bruce Wilson from Sanctuary Project, the animal was rescued and taken to the centre. The staff at the centre are unsure if the bird was deliberately doused in the paint or if it was a result of an unfortunate accident.
“In some places the paint was so thick that it hindered the bird’s ability to fly. Luckily, the paint was not in direct contact with his skin as this could have caused extreme irritation as well as chemical burns,” said Lana Bartholomew, marketing and communications officer.
When Clarissa de Beer from Earthwize Environmental Products heard about the predicament this Hadeda had found itself in, she jumped into action and assisted the centre with environmentally friendly and non-toxic chemical products to help remove the paint. The Earthwize products have been known to successfully remove tar and paint from Vervet monkeys in the past.
“Feathers are different to fur and therefore we were unsure of whether we would be able to remove the paint from this poor Hadeda’s feathers without completely damaging them,” said Estie Allan, clinic manager at CROW.
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The nurses at CROW carefully started the long process of washing the paint off of his feathers. After just one wash, they had managed to remove a large amount of the paint from Picasso.
“Not wanting to cause undue stress on the animal, we have to wash him in stages with a few days separating each wash. We have removed majority of the paint from his wings and torso and he is now able to move his wings freely. The difficult task of removing the paint around his eyes and on his head still awaits us,” said Estie.
“The cleansing product worked wonders and the paint just peeled off of his feathers. He is in wonderful condition and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Thank you to Clarissa de Beer and Arthur Potts from Earthwize Environmental Products for helping us care for Picasso the Hadeda,” said Lana.
If you would like to help CROW raise much needed funds to continue their life-saving work, consider purchasing one of its beautiful 2020 Wildlife Calendars. To purchase a calendar, contact Lana on 031 462 1127 or email: info@crowkzn.co.za.
