RSPCA – Orphaned Seals Need Your Help
The RSPCA’s East Winch Wildlife Centre in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, needs your help in caring for large numbers of orphaned grey seals that it has been taking in since November.
So far, the centre, which specialises in seal rehabilitation, has 44 pups in its care, and the numbers are expected to keep rising throughout January.
Seals are brought to East Winch when they become sick or injured, or simply when they are too young to survive on their own.
Centre cares for seals from many coastlines
The seals come in mainly from along the North Sea coast from Yorkshire down to Essex, but it’s not just local seals that the wildlife centre cares for.
There are even some that have been brought to the centre from as far away as Wales and Lancashire. And every rehabilitated seal goes back to the same area of coast that it came from.
Rehabilitaing the seal pups
Staff at the specialist seal rehabilitation unit treat the pups’ injuries or illnesses, then work on feeding them.
They are usually fed with a rehydrating solution at first through a stomach tube. This is then substituted with ‘fish soup’, before the seals are hand-fed with herring.
Eventually, the seals learn to feed themselves. The animals can be at the centre for an average of four to five months before they are ready to be returned to the sea.
Staff extremely grateful for public support
Centre manager, Alison Charles, said: “Our staff are working very hard to care for the seals, especially when they first come in and are in isolation, as they need three-hourly feeds at this stage.
“They are also much stronger than common seals, so we all have sore muscles from moving and handling them during feeds!
“We are extremely grateful for the support of the public in caring for the seals and hope to boost our numbers of old and new blankets, towels and duvets.”
How you can help
This grey seal season, wildlife centre staff are naming the seals after pubs. So far names include Canary and Linnet, The Greyhound, and The Black Bull.
There are so many seals, though, that staff are having to cast their net wider in the search for pub names. So pubs are being offered the chance to have a seal named after them in return for sponsorship.
Cash donations are always much needed, but this season the centre is also asking for donations of towels, blankets and duvets, which are in short supply.
Blankets and towels are vital to help handle the seals, but also provide much needed warmth for some very small seals with low temperatures.
To sponsor a seal, or make a donation, please contact the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre.
Leave a Reply