‘Capture Myopathy’ Dooms the Geese of La Brea.

Aug 19

Aug 19 ‘Capture Myopathy’ Dooms the Geese of La Brea.

The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles has been trapping hapless wildlife in its sticky, deadly asphalt for tens of thousands of years. The latest victims are a flock of Canada geese that got sucked in; most of the birds perished, but two are clinging to life.

Of the 15 geese trapped in the goo, seven were recovered from the scene and brought to the International Bird Rescue’s Wildlife Center in LA. As the rescue group tells it, “On arrival, the birds were listless and unable to stand, and so heavily covered in tar that they were barely recognizable.”

Five of the birds died soon after arrival, but two survivors hung on and are now recovering from burn wounds and feather loss. All the birds suffered muscle damage from a serious condition called “capture myopathy,” caused by the extreme exertion of their struggle. Both surviving geese are slowly finding the strength to stand on their own.

“It’s heartbreaking to see accidents like this occur,” said J.D. Bergeron, CEO of Bird Rescue. “Birds in a changing world face dwindling natural habitat and lack of habitat is a big problem for the wild animals that call Los Angeles home. It is natural for animals to become trapped in the tar, but in a huge city with little wildlife habitat, the lake can look very attractive to animals.”

The steaming hot, gooey mess was originally dubbed “Los Volcanes de Brea,” (The Volcanoes of Tar) by the Spanish expedition that came across it in 1769. So in English, “La Brea Tar Pits” is somewhat redundant. It is also still deadly, as it has been for millennia.