Snowdrop was rescued on 7th November 2009
|
Snowdrop, whitecoat female seal pup, was rescued by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) marine mammal medics on the 7th of November 2009 and taken to the RSPCA´s West Hatch Wildlife Centre for care and treatment.
Snowdrop along with other rescued seal pups, Scarlet, Deadly Nightshade and Triffid, were transferred to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary on the 20th of December 2009 for their next stage of rehabilitation and to learn to compete for fish with other seals and then finally being released back into the wild.
RSPCA have chosen to name their pups after wild flowers and plants for this rescue season (2009/10).
|
When the pups first arrived at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, they are put into the nursery pools to get used to water, gain further body weight and strength needed to ensure their safety when finally returned to the sea. After a few weeks she was moved into the deep convalescent pool for her final stage of rehabilitation and to learn how to dive.
Pups in the nursery pools and convalescent pools learn 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.
|
Snowdrop´s RSPCA flipper ID tag number is 80006 (orange). RSPCA always ID their seals with orange tags with five-digit numbers. This is a small identification tag which is attached to the seal pup´s rear flipper, right for a girl, left for a boy.
It is always a good day when the animal care team return the rescued seal pups back to the wild where they belong, but at the same time it is a bit emotional saying goodbye after being with them for three months or more.
When a seal pup reaches their ideal target release weight, it is time for them to return to the wild. On the 13th of April 2010, after a final weight check, it was decided the time had come for Snowdrop, along with other rescued seal pups, Angelina Johnson, Dumbledore, Lilly, Pomona Sprout and Petunia, to be returned to the wild. The pups are transferred from the pool into the back of the Sanctuary´s seal release trailer and then safely transport the pups to their release location.
The Seal Sanctuary try to release pups back to a beach on the coast that they were rescued from. They were released on the beach near Red River in Gwithian.
|
|
Update: 28th August 2025 - Snowdrop was spotted at various haul-outs along the coast of Cornwall on 19th March 2011, 13th May 2011, 30th June 2011, 2nd July 2011, 5th September 2011, 6th November 2011,
|
| 10th November 2011, 4th June 2012, 30th June 2012, 19th July 2012, 20th July 2012, 30th July 2012, 30th August 2012, 13th, 19th & 24th October 2012, 31st January 2013, 3rd February 2013, 1st, 12th, 25th & 27th April 2013, 2nd & 13th May 2013, 1st July 2013, 9th, 10th & 19th October 2013, 9th January 2014, 7th February 2014, 7th March 2014, 8th September 2014, 18th September 2014,
|
|
2nd April 2015, 11th & 18th February 2016, 24th March 2016, 28th December 2016, 9th February 2017, 11th September 2017, 5th October 2017, 1st November 2017, 11th & 22nd January 2018, 2nd & 9th April 2018, 24th & 25th September 2018, 6th & 31st December 2018, 3rd & 4th January 2019,
|
| 14th, 18th & 28th February 2019, 22nd March 2019, 10th & 12th August 2019, 10th, 17th & 24th October 2019, 7th November 2019,
9th, 23rd, 29th & 30th December 2019, 6th, 13th & 23rd January 2020, 10th, 19th February 2020, 14th April 2020, 7th July 2020, 22nd August 2020, 26th August 2020, 5th, 17th & 23rd October 2020, 14th, 16th, 23rd, 26th & 27th November 2020, 4th, 6th, 10th & 24th December 2020,
|
Photo Credit : Sue Sayer - SRT - 22nd August 2020
Snowdrop looking very heavily pregnant! - Unfortunately, despite knowing she was pregnant, there were no sighting or photos of
Snowdrop or her pup in September 2020.
|
11th January 2021, 5th, 15th & 26th February 2021, 1st, 15th & 22nd March 2021, and 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 16th & 20th September 2021, 21st October 2021, 8th November 2021, 2nd December 2021, 14th January 2022, 3rd March 2022, 14th, 22nd, 24th & 27th October 2022, 12th November 2022, 5th, 16th & 26th December 2022, 5th January 2023, 2nd & 3rd September 2023, 2nd October 2023, 13th & 27th November 2023, 11th March 2024, 17th, 19th, 20th & 22nd August 2024, 3rd & 9th September 2024, 3rd & 27th December 2024,
Photo Credit : Sue Sayer MBE - SRT - 27th December 2024
|
By monitoring the behaviour of seals after they are released back into the wild, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Seal Research Trust and other organisations can use this information to define the best practice standards and policies that they can share with the international rescue community.
Each seal´s fur pattern is unique and enables the organisations to track them for life.
Seals face many challenges, yet we all depend on them to balance our marine ecosystem, which is essential to make the oxygen we breathe.
Seals are our globally rare wildlife tourist attraction, helping diversify coastal economic prosperity.
|
| Read Snowdrop´s Amazing Story!
|
We would like to share the amazing story of Snowdrop who was rescued in 2009 by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), rehabilitated at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, and released back into the wild in 2010. The wonderful news is...she is still being ID´d today after 13 amazing years in the wild!!! Healthy and Thriving.
By monitoring the behaviour of seals after release back into the wild, the Seal Research Trust, BDMLR and CSS, can use this information to define the best practice standards and policies for rescue, rehab and release that are shared with the international rescue community.
Find out more about Snowdrop´s story click here to read.
|
|
