JP was rescued on 13th September 2024
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This 10 days old male (whitecoat) grey seal pup was rescued on the 13th of September 2024 from Pine Haven beach near Port Isaac by some members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) volunteer marine mammal medics.
Michelle Robinson Clement, one of the BDMLR volunteer marine mammal medics, said "The pup was monitored for 24 hours, it was trying to feed from another mum who was feeding her own baby, and was being rejected". As there was no sign of mum, a decision was made to rescue the pup without disturbing the mum and her baby on the beach."
Michelle along with other medics, Faye, Linda and Michaele, in a safe area, assessed the pup and found some nasty swelling and other injuries, as well as being underweight. The pup was taken to a local holding veterinary facilities over night and then transported from North Cornwall to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, where the animal care team could start his rehabilation.
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Photo Credit : Michelle Robinson-Clement - BDMLR
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Upon arrival at the seal hospital, the pup was named JP. He was assessed by the Sanctuary´s vets who prescribed a course of antibiotics. He has infected bite wounds on his back and flippers. The wounds are being cleaned twice a day and is receiving medication in his fish (shhh! don´t tell him) to help with the infection.
JP is also being fed a blended fish soup every 4 hours to keep up the level of feeding that his mum would have provided, but even so, it is impossible for the team to emulate the nutrient rich and calorie dense milk that ensures pups are able to put on around 1.5kg a day up to their weaning at around 17-21 days.
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Update - 19th September 2024 : Young grey seal pups like JP, who still have their white coats, are much more vulnerable, too, which means the team have to take extra precautions in the hospital to ensure the pups are not stressed and get all the rest they need to put on weight for a healthy recovery. This is why for the first few days, pups will spend time in the quiet area of the hospital to rest.
| | These photos below were taken on the 18th of September 2024.
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Update - 29th September 2024 : JP is now doing much better and even learnt to eat on his own fish without any help from the team. Once he has put on some more weight, he can continue his rehab in the outside nursery pools.
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Update - 5th October 2024 : JP spent just about 2 weeks in the hospital before he was moved down to the outside pool for his next stage of rehabilitation. This means he is on the road to recovery and also has a deeper pool to swim in.
Pups in the nursery pools will be learning how to behave in the wild, interacting with other seals and also competing for their fish, which are all vital skills they will need when they are released back out into the wild.
JP´s flipper tag ID number is SL306 (yellow).
These photos below were taken on the 4th of October 2024 in the nursery pool number 1.
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Update - 19th November 2024 : JP has now reached his ideal release weight of 30kg+, this means he is now ready to return home.
JP has been fitted with specialist GPS tracking equipment. This innovative step will provide valuable insights into the pups´ movements and behaviours as they return to the sea. The study, which is first of its kind in Southwest England, JP is part of the GPS tracking equipment 15 Grey seal pups (2024/25 rescue season) being issued with the tags to examine their at-sea behaviour. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is working alongside Dr Luis Huckstadt, senior lecturer at the University of Exeter as he leads this exciting pilot study.
These photos below were taken on the 18th of November 2024 in the rehabilitation pool.
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JP along with Klaus and Sun Beetle were released back into the wild on the 3rd of December 2024.
Click here to see a selection of photos.
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Update - 16th January 2025 : Since being released back in December, our adventurous seal pup, JP, has been on an incredible journey, travelling over 600km around the beautiful coast of Cornwall??
JP even took a detour to the Isles of Scilly, perhaps a little sightseeing? Check out the purple line on the map showing JP´s incredible route so far! Whether exploring new waters or making friends along the way?? JP is clearly loving life back in the wild.
We couldn´t be prouder of this little explorer. Keep swimming, JP!
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| GPS-Tagged Seal Pup Spotted Thriving in the Wild after 600km Journey
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A grey seal pup rehabilitated at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary has recently been spotted thriving in the wild two months after its release, showcasing incredible natural behaviours and resilience.
The rehabilitated pup was seen by James Savage and Peter Perkins, volunteers with the Seal Research Trust during a survey on the north coast of Cornwall.
The pup named "JP" by a Sanctuary pup sponsor, was fitted with a GPS tracker as part of an exciting trial study run by the University of Exeter in cooperation with the Sanctuary, and has travelled over 600km since his release, including a brief visit to the Isles of Scilly. Click here to read more.
| | Photo Credit : Peter Perkins - Seal Research Trust
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Each seal´s fur pattern is unique and enables the CSGRT volunteers to 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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