ORPHANS FROM THE SEA

by Jack Denton Scott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 1982

It all began in 1971 when 25-year-old Ralph Heath found a crippled cormorant on a Florida beach and took it home to his parents' rec room. Others heard about his project and sent more birds, and soon the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary was in full swing. Scott describes the sanctuary's fourfold program--Rescue (now expanded to search and rescue), Repair, Recuperation, and Release (over 10,000 birds have been returned to the wild so far, though many disabled ones must be kept on for life)--and Sweet contributes his crisp pictures of the birds and of the staff at work. Most of the sanctuary's patients are Brown Pelicans, a once-populous species hard hit by pesticides and PCB's; 85 percent of their injuries are from fish hooks or monofilament fishing line. Funded entirely by donations, the center also feeds wild birds and breeds disabled ones whose healthy chicks are eventually released. Among animal rescue documentaries, this is tight, unsentimental, and visually attractive.

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION