BELGIUM-BABY SEAL Two baby seals rescued and taken in by Belgian marine park

Record ID: 149440

  • Title: BELGIUM-BABY SEAL Two baby seals rescued and taken in by Belgian marine park
  • Date: 23rd July 2015
  • Summary: BLANKENBERGE, BELGIUM (JULY 22, 2015) (REUTERS) BABY SEAL FOUND ON JULY 22 COMING TO FOCUS SIGN AT ENTRANCE OF SEAL HOSPITAL VETERINARIAN JOHN VAN GOMPEL CARRYING BABY SEAL TO QUARANTINE ROOM VAN GOMPEL PREPARING SYRINGE VAN GOMPEL CARRYING SYRINGE AND STETHOSCOPE TO QUARANTINE ROOM VARIOUS OF VAN GOMPEL AND SEA LIFE STAFF MEMBER EXAMINING BABY SEAL VAN GOMPEL SHOWING WOUN
  • Embargoed: 7th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA12SJ1AP1N9FG4XRIGN2P010E0
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A marine park on the Belgian coast rescued two baby seals this week, the first of dozens expected in a season lasting from July to December.
    The first seal was spotted by beachgoers in Blankenberge on Monday (July 20) while the second one was found further down the coast in Koksijde on Wednesday (July 22).
    Dozens of baby seals get stranded on Belgian beaches each year. The marine park 'Sea Life Blankenberge' rescues them and provides shelter, medication and care for the young seals separated from their mother.
    Senior Aquarist Tiffany Defonseca said that while some baby seals were found sick or wounded, some only suffered from malnutrition.
    "We rescued this baby seal on Monday evening. We got a call around 8 p.m. that a baby seal was spotted on the beach of Blankenberge. We had a look and saw that it was a young pup who had lost its mother. We took the animal to our seal clinic. The veterinarian came immediately and checked it. The little animal is not sick but it has lost its mother so it is malnourished," Defonseca said.
    Sea Life staff estimated the two seals to be four weeks old. The first one weighed nine kilos and the second 11 kilos. They will be returned to the sea once they weigh 35 to 40 kilos, Sea Life staff said.
    The seal rescued on Monday had light wounds on its flippers and mouth likely to have been caused by seagulls, a Sea Life staff member said, adding that if the seals were not rescued, they most likely would not have survived.
    Defonseca said seal pups need to be at least 15 kilos to survive without their mother.
    The baby seals will be moved to the exterior pup pool once they are stronger, where they normally stay between three to six months before being released in the sea.
    Adults and children visiting the marine park enjoyed watching the pups.
    "Two days ago I saw in the news, actually it was yesterday, that they found it on the beach. And it is super cute," visitor Alizee said.
    Sea Life has rescued 269 seals since first launching their rescue program 12 years ago, staff said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register