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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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A family of swans and cygnets remain under special care after an oil spill into a Portlaoise housing estate lake.
They are among some 100 wild birds that were polluted in one of Kilminchy housing estate's wildlife rich drainage lakes, after an oil spill on Thursday evening, July 10.
Kildare Wildlife Rescue who came to rescue the birds, say they cannot be returned until the lakes are clean. However as yet Laois County Council has not confirmed if it has found the source of the pollution.
There is further concern for more wildlife in the third of Kilminchy's lakes.
Despite barriers placed by Laois County Fire & Rescue Service, the pollution has entered the next lake.
Kilminchy resident John Cowhig who alerted the authority to the oilspill, now reports that the lake is flowing with its oil into the second lake, which he claims was already polluted.
"After the heavy rain on Monday night and yesterday the booms and pads at the weir of the second lake which were replaced by the fire brigade on Monday evening have been dislodged.
"Waters last night were now flowing over the weir into the third lake. Some of the oil pads have also been washed through into the third lake," Mr Cowhig told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
Pearse Stokes said the heat had made conditions for rescuing wildlife particularly complex.
“Rescuing wildlife is very difficult. Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE, like facemasks and gowns, to protect yourself from the contaminates,” Mr Stokes said.
“Working in the high heat that we had last weekend… also comes the added complication where the oil and the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people, so it is a public safety concern as well as a concern for the first responders and the wildlife.”
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He said swans cannot be released until the spills are cleared up, and if they are released at another location they will fly back to their original home and risk being exposed to oil again.
He said that often the birds cannot survive the added stress of being kept in captivity, being cleaned and being handled by humans for too long.
KWR urge people in Kilminchy to keep their dogs on leads, as they may chase sick birds back into the water.
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