Local News in Brief : Sanctuary May Empty
County officials say they will remove all of the animals from a makeshift bird and animal sanctuary near Marina del Rey if a study links the creatures to persistent high bacteria levels at a nearby beach.
A San Francisco firm has been hired to conduct a nine-week, $74,000 study to discover the source of the pollution that has kept the marina’s only beach closed since October.
Officials suspect that animal feces in the runoff from the sanctuary may be the source of high fecal coliform bacteria counts in the waters off the beach, nicknamed Mothers’ Beach because it is often used by women with young children. County health officials have determined that warm-blooded animals are the source of the bacteria.
“If the results of that study show there is a direct linkage, we would have to take the warm-blooded animals out” of the sanctuary, said Ted Reed, director of the county’s beaches and harbors department.
Reed said the animals began to collect at the flood control basin about 10 years ago when owners began discarding unwanted pets in the 10.9-acre area.
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