Hufflepuff was rescued on 21st October 2009
The Sanctuary received a call on 21st October 2009 from a member of the public about a seal on the beach at Gwithian near Hayle. As our team were out on a rescue at Mullion, we asked the BDMLR to go out on our behalf and call the Sanctuary with details when they located the seal.

We had a call from BDMLR to say that the pup was on large side but did have puncture wounds to all flippers. The Animal care team decided that the safest course of action was to bring the pup to the Sanctuary. While the pup was making its way back to the Sanctuary, the team prepared isolation pen number 3 in the hospital.
Hufflepuff
At the Sanctuary Hufflepuff was weighed and found to be 35kg, approximately 3 weeks old, and still had her fluffy white coat. All her wounds where cleaned and treated and she was given a course of antibiotics and multivitamins.

Update: 24th October 2009 - Hufflepuff a very large seal and like to shout and show her teeth when we go in to feed and teat her.
Hufflepuff Update: 8th November 2009 - This photo of Hufflepuff was taken on 6th November 2009 in the outside nursery pool.    Click here to see further photos.

Update: 13th November 2009 - Hufflepuff´s flipper tag number is 07 (light blue). Hufflepuff is still watching the other seals eating the fish but not eating.
Update: 20th November 2009 - Hufflepuff is in nursery pool 2 along with Hedwig and Buckbeak. Unfortunately Hufflepuff is still playing more with the fish then eating it.
Update: 2nd January 2010 - Hufflepuff now weighs 38.5 kilos.

Update: 1st March 2010 - Hufflepuff along with Dobby, Buckbeak and Luna were released back into the wild on 11th February 2010 at Gwithian.
Seal Release on 11th February 2010
Update - 12th June 2023 - Hufflepuff was spotted at haul-outs along the shores of Cornwall by members of the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (CSGRT) every day between 7th & 31st October 2015, in January 2019, 3rd, 17th & 28th January 2020, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th & 26th February 2020, 12th, 13th, 15th, 21st, 24th & 25th March 2020, 7th, 23rd, 25th & 30th April 2020, 3rd, 11th, 15th, 20th, 24th, 25th & 26th May 2020, 6th, 7th, 9th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd & 25th June 2020, 6th, 9th, 11th, 26th & 29th July 2020, 2nd, 6th, 12th, 20th & 29th August 2020, 1st October 202, 4th, 5th, 15th, 17th, 29th, 30th & 31st January 2021, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 24th & 27th February 2021, 1st, 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 29th & 30th March 2021, 2nd, 4th, 12th, 18th, 25th & 30th April 2021, 4th, 6th, 9th, 14th, 28th & 31st May 2021, 6th, 8th, 11th, 24th & 29th June 2021, 4th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 17th & 30th July 2021, 1st, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 14th, 24th & 26th August 2021, 3rd, 20th & 22nd September 2021, 1st & 3rd October 2021, 6th, 10th, 11th & 12th November 2021, 1st, 2nd & 7th January 2022, 25th February 2022, 4th, 11th & 14th March 2022, 4th 8th, 12th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd & 27th April 2022, 18th May 2022, 3rd & 13th June 2022, 1st, 6th & 8th October 2022, 13th, 19th, 28th & 30th December 2022, 13th & 27th January 2023, 6th February 2023, 3rd, 10th & 22nd March 2023, 10th May 2023 and 12th June 2023.

Members of the CSGRT volunteer hundreds of hours of their own time to photo, identify, carry out surveys, monitor and watch over the seals around the Cornish coast.

Each seal´s fur pattern is unique and enables the CSGRT volunteers track them for life. Seals face many challenges, yet we all depend on them to balance our marine ecosystem, this is essential to make the oxygen we breathe. Seals are our globally rare wildlife tourist attraction, helping diversify coastal economic prosperity.


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