The hydrocarbon spill that hit the Naviglio Grande near Pontevecchio di Magenta and Castelletto di Abbiategrasso transformed a white mute swan into the symbol of a serious ecological disaster. The alarm was raised when the animal, which has become a familiar presence for residents of the area, appeared completely covered in a thick, black, pasty substance.
Elio Orbelli, a 42-year-old mechanic, who noticed his suffering around 10.30pm, dived into the canal aboard his boat together with his 11-year-old son Michele. The recovery proved long and complex, finishing only around 2:00 in the morning thanks to the use of a net. Recalling the excited moments of the operations in the water, the man told how the animal had become completely black and was desperately trying to take flight, but couldn’t because that pasty substance weighed it down.
Health treatments at the La Fagiana center in Magenta
After the capture, the bird was taken into custody by the Provincial Police and urgently transferred to the La Fagiana Wildlife Recovery Center in Magenta. He was welcomed by the facility manager Stefania Pulici, who together with the healthcare staff and volunteers initiated the specific protocols to decontaminate the plumage and stabilize the animal.
The swan survived the first two nights, showing signs of reactivity to pharmacological therapies, but his situation remains delicate. Describing the clinical picture at the time of hospitalization, Stefania Pulici reported:
We did a first wash of the plumage. The body was covered in that substance from the neck to the belly and legs. After the cleaning treatment he was placed in a warm room.
Regarding the subsequent rehabilitation phases, the manager specified:
The swan has survived the second night, we will soon be preparing to do the second wash. The animal is stable and combative: as we wrote on our Facebook page, he is doing his best and we are with him. The conditions remain critical: he is responding positively to therapies, but the plumage is still very dirty. Numerous washings will follow, as handling a wild animal is always a source of stress, a factor that certainly does not facilitate recovery. All treatments we are applying specific protocols for cleaning the plumage from hydrocarbon substances. In the next few days we will continue these therapies and will keep you updated on our official channels.
Complaints about biodiversity and the impact of the oil spill
The oil spill unfortunately caused other victims among the local fauna: a turtle dove completely covered in chemical substance also arrived at the center and, having ingested the fuel, did not survive. The president of Lipu, Alessandro Polinori, shared the images of the swan on his social channels to denounce the environmental damage that is spreading towards the gates of Milan, comparing the tragedy to that which already occurred in Maccarese.
These sad images bring to mind the environmental tragedy experienced in Maccarese a few years ago. Now the hydrocarbon spill concerns the Naviglio, it is reaching the gates of Milan and the damage to biodiversity is already extensive.
Finally, the president recommended citizens not to improvise direct interventions:
Like Lipu we ask not to improvise as rescuers and not to intervene independently. In case of sightings of dirty animals, immediately contact CRFS LIPU La Fagiana on 3333148603.
The same invitation was also reiterated by Stefania Pulici:
We have already activated a protocol that is put in place for similar cases. We ask all citizens, if they find animals, to contact us and not to improvise cleaning activities.
