Brightside: OC Animal Rescue
OCEAN CITY, Md. – The National Aquarium recently opened a new Animal Rescue Triage and treatment space in Ocean City.
Since 1991, the National Aquarium has maintained a presence in Ocean City in order to preserve the marine wildlife. While rescuing an animal is typically the first step, getting them further care has been a challenge.
Charles Erbe, better known as “Chuck”, has been an animal rescue volunteer for over 20 years. His passion and dedication to marine life is part of the many reasons the National Aquarium Animal Rescue Stranding Response Center in Ocean City has been dedicate to him and his late wife.
“Maybe 7-10 years in the making at least in my time knowing I was pressing for it and I thank Ocean City and I thank the mayor here for doing this now, this is a great facility for us,” he says.
From encountering seals on the beach, to entangled seals on the beach, to entangled sea turtles, or having to hold a whale calf in its final moments, Chuck has seen and experienced it all.
“They’re gorgeous, you fall in love with them, you have to be careful around them but they need to have the same type of treatment we would give a human.”
That’s why this center will further their efforts to improve and make marine life presence known, welcomed, and cared for on the Eastern Shore. With this new center, they can provide care for animals for up to 96 hours, treating them, assessing them, and giving them a better chance of survival.
“This space is going to be really important for stabilizing animals that are super critical on the beach so they have a better chance of making that long transport to long term rehab. Give it a physical exam, we have basic blood machines, run an eye stat, we can spin down blood, we can do glucose and lactate, So we can run those basic diagnostics so we can give that information back to our veterinary team at the aquarium and they can advice on medical treatments that we’ll be able to provide right here for the animal,” says Kate.
In addition to medical equipment, they’ve dedicated a vehicle capable of driving over sand, to again improve response times. We’re told this wouldn’t be possible without the help of their team of seal stewards, public educators, and volunteers.
With the center now up and running and a team ready to serve the marine life here on the shore, Chuck’s dream and legacy can continue for years to come.
“I have done some amazing things and I’ve done some sorrowful things, but It shows how passionate I am about this. I truly love what I’ve done for the last 21 years.”
