Animal rescue volunteers are helping 10 adult seagulls who helped themselves to a container of fish oil that was left open and unmonitored at a fish processing plant near Viscount Way in Richmond.
The gulls were found drenched in oil and fish scales and delivered to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Burnaby on Monday.
City of Richmond officials are investigating who may be at fault, according to the centre.
The birds need clean feathers to fly and stay warm. Also, the oil will eventually become a source for serious infection and some of them already have eye infections.
It’s expected to take all of Friday for volunteers to clean the birds, according to a centre spokesperson.