Canada Geese Flock Suffers Burns After Touching Down in Oil at La Brea Tar Pits

Last month, a portion of a flock of Canada Geese landed in the sticky asphalt at La Brea Tar Pits and unfortunately, some died while others sustained serious injuries, according to an announcement made by a wildlife rescue group on Tuesday.

The surviving geese are currently being cared for by International Bird Rescue at their Los Angeles wildlife care center.

The rescue group reported that out of a flock of 15 geese, five died upon arrival at the center. However, two geese managed to survive and are now recovering from burn wounds and feather loss caused by the accident that took place on July 31.

JD Bergeron, CEO of Bird Rescue, expressed his sorrow over such accidents, stating, “It’s heartbreaking to see incidents like this occur. Birds in a changing world are facing a decreased natural habitat and the lack of habitat poses a major problem for the wild animals that inhabit Los Angeles. It’s natural for animals to get trapped in the tar, but in a large city with limited wildlife habitat, the lake can appear very appealing to them.”

“The Lake Pit was formed by asphalt mining conducted by humans and continues to pose a significant risk to wildlife,” Bergeron added.

A request for comment sent to the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, the entity responsible for overseeing the Tar Pits, went unanswered.

When animals, both wild and domestic, endure severe stress, they can develop a serious condition known as capture myopathy, which involves muscle damage resulting from extreme exertion or struggle, as explained by the wildlife center.

All the birds brought to the facility had this condition due to their attempts to free themselves from the tar. One of the geese had even broken a leg during the struggle, mentioned the rescue group.

Thankfully, both surviving geese are slowly recovering from capture myopathy and are gradually regaining the strength to stand on their own, according to Bird Rescue.

The La Brea Tar Pits website describes the bubbling tar at the site as asphalt, which is considered the lowest grade of crude oil. Bird Rescue explains that small mammals, birds, and insects unintentionally get trapped in the tar and become immobilized, similar to flies on flypaper.

Not only do animals risk suffocation when they become stuck in the tar, but the tar also causes rapid burns. Wildlife center staff took immediate action to remove enough tar to allow the birds to eat, breathe, and defecate. They then stabilized the birds medically before proceeding with a thorough washing.

The public can contribute to assist the injured birds by visiting www.birdrescue.org/donate.