BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - Birds left soaked in oil after a spill in the Muddy River in Brookline were able to fly free Friday.
About 40 geese and ducks were brought to New England Wildlife Center to be cleaned last month. On Friday, they were brought back to their habitat, which has also been cleaned up.
“These birds went from like, the worst day of their life, probably, to now maybe one of the best. So we’re all celebrating,” said Margaret Byrne of US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Thirty-seven birds were released back into the wild, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the team at the New England Wildlife Center.
“This is why you do it. This is one of the greatest things, is seeing all of your hard work pay off, and watching all of these birds be able to return,” said Zak Mertz, CEO of the New England Wildlife Center.
“It’s a big juxtaposition, compared to the first four or five days where it’s freezing, raining, and we were out here from morning to night. You know it was some really hard days, but seeing them re-enter the wild makes it all worth it,” he continued.
Dozens of ducks and geese became covered in heating oil last month when they ended up in the Muddy River in Brookline.
Seven of the birds that were rescued didn’t make it.
But, those involved in the clean-up are grateful they were able to save so many affected birds.
“We got pretty lucky in the fact that we were able to intervene so quickly. Being able to be out in the field right after this event happened, get them before they ingested too much of the oil, made a huge difference,” Mertz said.
They say the birds had a long road to recovery.
“It was a long journey for them. Everything from the initial wash to recovery to re-water proofing, they did well, and quite honestly, I think the fact that they had come from a similar environment and they had each other to lean on really benefited them in their recovery process,” Mertz said.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)