Oiled Wildlife Response Training

Participants listen attentively to Curt and Barbarra

Peter Taylor directed a wildlife response training course for BP Azerbaijan in Baku during September 2004. Curt Clumper and Barbarra Callahan, experts from the International Bird Rescue Research Centre (IBRRC) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), provided the technical expertise for the development of the course material and presented a number of the sessions, which formed the training part of the implementation phase of a Wildlife Response Plan produced by The Oil Spill Training Company in conjunction with IFAW and IBRRC earlier in the year. More than a dozen local organizations attended the two day event, which aimed to develop capacity in Azerbaijan to deal with oiled wildlife casualties in case there should be an incident from BP’s facilities.
 

Curt and his friend during a presentation

All presentations and materials were delivered in both the English and Azeri languages. The course included demonstrations of bird handling and rehabilitation techniques and a visit to the Briggs warehouse, which has been identified as a location for the establishment of a temporary wildlife rehabilitation facility, should this be needed. As far as we are aware, this is the first such training to be delivered in the Caspian region.