BOSTON — Wildlife rescuers were rushing Monday to tend to dozens of geese and ducks that were soaked in oil after an apparent spill in a Boston river.
Police and fire departments were dispatched to the Muddy River on the border of Boston and the town of Brookline a little after noon on Sunday following reports of a possible oil leak, Brookline police said. Responders found that there was some kind of leak into the waterway that impacted wildlife — including numerous ducks and geese, police said.
The exact nature of the spill, and the exact location of the leak, were still under investigation on Monday, police and state officials said. State environmental officials and wildlife rescuers responded to the scene and were still on the job Monday, police and town officials said.
“We know that members of the community are concerned for the well being of the impacted wildlife and were interested in what they could do to help. On scene for something like this it’s important that we only use people with proper PPE and training,” Brookline police said in a statement.
Rescuers said it would take up to a month for the birds to be treated and released back into the wild. Twenty birds were accounted for by Monday afternoon, but dozens more were expected to need care, said Katrina Bergman, president of New England Wildlife Center, which was responding to the animals.
Bergman said most of the birds were Canada geese and mallards, which are a common sight alongside the Muddy River. The river is a popular site for walkers and joggers. The spill happened in the area of the Longwood train station, about a mile from Fenway Park.
Caring for the animals is difficult because they need to be cared for without stressing them out, said Zak Mertz, chief executive officer of New England Wildlife Center.
Giving the injured wildlife room to let rescuers tend to them was critical, officials said.
“We don’t want to cause them to do any extra activity, especially if they have oil in the mouth and nose, that could do more damage,” Mertz said.