96 



The New England Aquarium currently responds to approximately 500 strandings each 

 year, including mass strandings of 30-90 pilot whales. The aquarium provides rescue and 

 rehabilitation services, and has returned pilot whales to their habitat. It has also assisted more 

 that 50 seals of 5 different species, returning many to the wiid. Direct costs of these efforts are 

 estimated to be $100,000 per year, in addition to thousands of hours of trained volunteer help. 



There are many other examples of rescue efforts, including a west coast sea otter rescue 

 and care program designed to rehabilitate and return abandoned pups and sick and injured adults 

 to their natural environment. 



The marine mammal community is not reimbursed for the expenses associated with the 

 medical treatment of stranded animals, - and stranding operations are costly. In the last five 

 years, Alliance and AZA members alone have spent over $5 million rescuing, treating, feeding 

 and releasing marine mammals. As a result of efforts by the public display community and 

 others, 1,500 marine mammals were returned to their natural environments in the last five years. 

 Sadly, stranded animals are often severely injured and would not be able to survive in the wild. 

 These animals, most of which are not suitable for display, are maintained at Alliance and AZA 

 facilities at their own cost. 



In addition to responding to calls to assist stranded marine mammals, it is not uncommon 

 for a single Alliance or AZA facility to receive over 1 ,500 calls a year regarding marine 

 mammals, birds and other wildlife in distress. Nor is it uncommon for the animals care staff of 

 these facilities to examine large numbers of animals that succumbed in a mass die-off. Staffs are 

 on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 



AZA and Alliance members have also long understood that the study of stranded animals 

 is important to protect marine mammals in the wild. This work provides essential data about the 

 natural history of a species and population dynamics, and is an indicator of factors affecting these 

 animals such as disease, pollution and parasites. Thus, when animals are released, they are 

 marked for re-identification and many are radio/satellite tracked by federal agencies to gather 

 still more data to help other animals. 



Another example of stranding related research now being done with a wild population is a 

 project evaluating the health of the Matagorda Bay, Texas dolphin population, which suffered an 

 unusual mortality event in the spring of 1991. Public display community veterinarians 

 participating in the study, which is funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, have 



Document #5213 



