SOS logo News Update Cornish Seal Sanctuary
Issue 101
November 2014

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Rescued Pups Update for 2014/15
The Animal Care Team are currently looking after the sick and injured seal pups which some need care 24 hours around the clock with night feeds every 4 hours!

This means the animal care team will also needs some TLC to keep them going, so if you are passing the hospital you could drop off a pack of biscuits or chocolates.

Robbie, 2-3 week old male grey seal pup, was rescued from the beach at Portmellon Cove which is about half a mile from the centre of Mevagissey. The pup was found with wounds to his back and neck. Click here to read more.
Robbie
St Eia, 21 week old female grey seal pup, was rescued by Tim Bain and Dave Jarvis, members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) team from the beach at Porthmeor in St Ives on 5th November 2014. The pup was found with severe swelling on both front flippers, and refusing to use her right front flipper at all.

St Eia did not stay very long in the hospital, she was moved down to the outside nursery pool to learn how to compete for fish with other seal pups. Click here to read more.

Photo below courtesy of Tim Bain (BDMLR)
St Eia photo by Tim Bain
Badger, 2 week old male seal pup (whitecoat), was rescued from Porthellick in the Isles of Scilly. This pup was separated from its mum. He was transported by members of the BDMLR team to the Seal Sanctuary.

Upon arrival at the Sanctuary, the pup weighed 17.5kgs, he was found with some old scars and wounds that are healing and an ulcer in one of his eyes.

The blood tests results showed that Badger had a high white blood cell count which shows possible infection and stress. For the first few days the pup was given a mixture of fluids and liquidised fish (like a milk-shake) and he started to moult, which revealed a fabulous jet black coat underneath.
Badger
Phoenix, 2 week old female seal pup (whitecoat), was found on the slipway at Boscastle on 11th November 2014 by Michelle Robinson of the BDMLR team, she was assisted by Graham King from the Witchcraft Museum at Boscastle and Malcolm Baker who runs the Blowhole Gazette in Boscastle.

The pup was separated from her mum, it seemed to be in a pretty steady in size, but quite poorly, respiratory infection confirmed, eyes scratched, pretty weak, and few superficial injuries to body and face.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Robinson.
Phoenix - photo by Michelle Robinson
Wolverine, 5 week old male grey seal pup, was rescued from the beach at Perranporth on the 13th November 2014. The pup was rescued and transported by members of the BDMLR team to the Seal Sanctuary.

Gamora, 4 week old female grey seal pup, was rescued from Sennen on the 14th November 2014, se was found malnourished and wounds to her body.

Jubilee, 4 week old female grey seal pup, was rescued from Plaidy beach in Looe on 15th November 2014, he was found to be malnourished.

Atom, 5 week old female grey seal pup, was rescued from the beach at Crantock on the 14th November 2014 weighing only 13kgs. She was found to be malnourished and with a swollen front flipper, also numerous punctures to her flippers and body.

Towards the end of November, Atom was moved into the main hospital, where she was allowed to have water in her pen so that Atom can exercise her flipper and learn how to feed in water.
Atom
Groot, 6 week old male grey seal pup, was rescued on the 18th November 2014 at St Ives harbour by Tim Bain and Dave Jarvis members of the BDMLR team, the pup was found to be severly malnourished, dehydrated and weighing only 13kgs.

Photo below courtesy of Tim Bain of the BDMLR.
Groot
Flash, 6 week old male grey seal pup, was rescued from the Isles of Scilly on the 24th of November 2014. He was found malnourished, dehydrated with a possible collapsed left eye.

Upon arrival at the Seal Sanctuary the pup was put into one of isolation pens of the hospital where the Sanctuary´s local vet examined the seal and prescribed a precautionary course of antibiotics for the pup to fight any infections he may be harbouring. Flash´s eye is now healing although it has been badly damaged, but a very bright pup and is enjoying tucking into some fish! Flash will be kept in a dry hospital pen until his eye has healed, and then he can be move down to the outside nursery pool!
Flash
Spongebobby, 3-4 week old female grey seal pup, was rescued from the beach at Widemouth Bay on 25th November 2014, she was found to have wounds to her body.

Iceman, 5 week old male grey seal pup, was rescued from Boat Cove in Harlyn Bay which is about three miles from Padstow on the 30th November 2014, he was found to be malnourished.
Stardust is now the outside nursery pool number 3 and chasing fish but not feeding on his own just yet! Just give him a few days, he will get the hang of catching the fish.

Quicksilver, Wonder Woman, Bruce Wayne and Superman are now in the convalescent pool and learning how to compete for fish with each other and the adult seals. Ray is keeping a close eye on them to make sure they are eating well.

Minnie, Mickie, Ariel, Olive, Moomin and Anastacia are now in the outside nursery pools for their next stage of rehabilitation.
Not all seals reported need to be rescued, when the Cornish Seal Sanctuary receive a call, members of the Animal Care Team will go out to check, when they are busy, members of the BDMLR will go out and check the pup.
Post Monitoring of Seals
The Seal Sanctuary not only relies on the public to spot injured or abandoned seals but also to help with the post monitoring release.

If you are out and about the Cornish coastline and you spot a seal, it may be a seal the Sanctuary has released in the past.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary and the Cornwall Seal Group would like to know about any seals which are spotted with tags, they need to know it´s location (where you saw the seal), the colour of the tag (each rescue season they use a different colour tag, this year (2014/15) it is a yellow tag), the date you saw the seal and the behaviour of the seal.

Then please contact the Cornish Seal Sanctuary via email and Sue Sayer, a member of the Cornwall Seal Group, via email.
Adopt an Animal
Why not adopt a creature and help to maintain first class animal care at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.  A special way to honour a birthday, special occasion or to commemorate the life of a loved one, while supporting an important cause.   Please click here or send an email or call 01326 221361 for more details.
Adopt a Pup

If you discover an injured seal pup
We are in the middle of grey seals breeding and pupping season - which for the Sanctuary signals the busiest time of the year for the Animal Care Team.

For over 55 years the Sanctuary have been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing those pups from our local coastline that find themselves in trouble, whether it be eye problems, respiratory infections and malnourishment to broken bones, pollution-related problems and being separated from their mother too soon.

Just like to remind you that if you discover a seal pup that is in distress or alone, please call the Seal Sanctuary on 01326 221361 and/or the BDMLR on 01825 765546.

DO keep your distance;
DON´T attempt to handle the pup;
DON´T attempt to put the pup in the sea;
DON´T ignore the situation;
DO tell the appropriate organisation.
A pup on the beach
P...P...Pick up a Penguin!
Forget about that advert with the penguins...you can buy your own cuddly one from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Call the Seal Sanctuary for more details on 01326 221361.
A selection of Penguins


Latest leaflet
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary´s latest leaflet is now available, Click here to download a pdf version.

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