The Cornish Seal Sanctuary received a telephone call from a member of the public asking to help a seal pup in distress at Gunwalloe Fishing Cove on the 22nd of November 2024. Initially mistaken for lifeless, the pup moved just enough to alert concerned onlookers, who quickly contacted the team.
Upon arrival Annie and Jack, members of the Animal Care Team, found a small grey seal pup weighing only 13kg, with injured flippers and a swollen jaw caused by a damaged tooth. After careful assessment, they brought him back to the Sanctuary for urgent care.
Thanks to a generous sponsor, this little fighter has been named Koweth and is already making great progress.
Young grey seal pups like Koweth are much more vulnerable, which means the team have to take extra precautions in the hospital to ensure that 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.
Update - 29th November 2024 : With his damaged tooth removed, Koweth has started feeding on his own and is well on the road to recovery.
Update - 14th December 2024 : Koweth is still in the hospital, he just needs to put on a bit more weight before being moved to the outside nursery pools.
Update - 26th December 2024 : Koweth spent about a month 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.
