Just when the team at Stapeley Grange thought things were beginning to calm down, the arrival of four patients with flippers means they are in for some whiffy work over the coming weeks and months.
Once again bad weather has caused difficult conditions for seal pups, at probably the worse time of year for them, when the seals are having their young. The Pembrokeshire coastline was battered by storms last week and sadly many pups were separated from their mums and had to be rescued and transferred by the BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue) to RSPCA Centres.
The future for these four grey seal pups is now in the hands of the Stapeley team. Their progress will be monitored regularly with staff recording important observations such as general behaviour and appearance, temperature and tearing. Currently the pups require three tube feeds a day, I don't think I ever have or in fact ever will become accustomed to the smell of their fish soup concoction that is poured (very carefully!) down the feeding tube.
The pups also sustained some nasty injuries during the storms so they are being treated daily by the team which is not as easy as it sounds, especially as the pups learn quickly and learn how to turn around as we are either feeding or treating them, its a constant tussle.
Storms early in 2014 pushed the Society, in particular RSPCA East Winch to the brink in terms of the number of pups our teams could physically care for. East Winch took the biggest hit (http://bit.ly/1ETDxt0) with around 120 seals in its care at one point; they even had to pass on some on the seals to other RSCPA Wildlife Centres, including Stapeley Grange. Hopefully this year's weather conditions will be a little kinder to our UK grey seal population.....it is not however a good start. I think those on the ground are still trying to work out how many have actually been rescued.
The rehabilitation of seal pups is a lengthy and costly process and we are expecting these four pups to go through 100's of kilos of fish during their time with us. To help us to feed our 4 storm pups please donate today. To give just £3, simply text RSPCA2 to 70007‘ Texts cost £3 + standard network rate.
Michelle Bite
Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery
