PHOTOS: Hadeda found covered in red paint in Upper Highway

THE Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife recently admitted a hadeda, fondly named Picasso, that was covered in a red enamel paint.

With assistance from Bruce Wilson of the Sanctuary Project, the animal was rescued and taken to the centre.

“We 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 the NPO’s marketing and communications officer, Lana Bartholomew.

Clarissa de Beer from Earthwize Environmental Products 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.

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“Feathers are different to fur, 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 CROW’s clinic manager, Estie Allan.

The nurses at CROW carefully washed the paint off its feathers. After just one wash, they were able to remove a large amount of the paint from Picasso.

“Not wanting to cause stress to the animal, we had to wash him in stages, with a few days separating each wash. We removed a 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.

To support CROW and help it raise much-needed funds to continue its life-saving work, you can purchase one of its beautiful 2020 Wildlife Calendars. To purchase a calendar, contact Lana Bartholomew on 031 462 1127 or email info@crowkzn.co.za.

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