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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Biologists Help Threatened Fish Flee Fire
Associated Press
Biologists and firefighters spent Wednesday trying to capture as many Gila trout as possible from a creek in southwestern New Mexico as flames inched closer to the threatened fish's home.
The lightning-sparked Meason Fire has charred more than 3,600 acres in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness north of Silver City. Forest officials decided to evacuate the trout when the fire started moving toward Diamond Creek.
Electroshockers were used to temporarily stun the fish so they could be placed in a large bucket. A helicopter transported the bucket out of the wilderness to a special truck that was waiting to take the fish to a hatchery in northern New Mexico.
John Kramer of the Wilderness Ranger District said such an evacuation effort is rare and complicated.
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