The number of dead and injured birds is estimated at first thousands. Heroic volunteers, veterinarians, and volunteer assistants washed more than 2,000 birds from fuel oil. Environmentalists are not ready to confirm the facts of dolphin deaths from fuel oil pollution, although isolated cases have been discovered in recent days. But the birds rescued after the oil spill died after they were released into the wild. Volunteers believe that the birds should not have been released, since their fat layer was washed away and their thermoregulation was disrupted, so they needed to undergo rehabilitation.