National Seal Sanctuary
		Issue 19
		3rd August 2009

On the 18th July 2009 the Sanctuary received it’s first patient of the new pup rescue season. ‘Myrtle’ was first spotted a few weeks ago at Godrevy on the north coast of Cornwall. She had managed to get herself caught up in fishing netting and over the last few weeks had cut deeper in to her flesh. Dan Jarvis, with the help of the BDMLR, headed out to where the pup had hauled out. Dan had to abseil down the cliff and make a sprint for the pup before it headed back in to the water. Dan caught the pup and put it safely in a specially designed ‘seal bag’ which would transport the seal back up the cliff and on to the Sanctuary. At the Sanctuary the pup was then put into hospital pen 3 where her wound were cleaned and treated and a course of antibiotics to fight any infection was started. UPDATE:- On the 29th July 2009 Myrtle was moved from the SOS Hospital to nursery pool 1 outside. The Animal Care team hope that Myrtle’s stay at the Sanctuary will be a very short one. To give Myrtle her full name she is called "Moaning Myrtle" after the ghost in the girls toilet from the ‘Harry Potter’ books. This is our theme for this winter for our rescued pups.

Dan heading back up the cliff with BDMLR Myrtle safely back at the Sanctuary Hospital

With nursery pool 1 occupied with Myrtle, Snoopy has taken up residents in nursery pool 2. All the other seals are a little off their food at the moment but this is normal during the summer. With the pups gone, the Animal Care Team can start putting enrichment toys in this pool. Marlin is loving the milk crate with the balls in the middle, and he likes to push this around the pool.

Luna and Sija are doing well with their training with the Animal Care team and look forward to their first feed at 10.30am before any of the other residents, it makes them feel very important.	Sahara is getting bigger everyday and is still only three years old. Sahara has also been a little under the weather over the last few weeks, but a course of antibiotics seems to have made him feel better.	Andy and Chaff are really enjoying the extra feed by the kids visiting the Sanctuary. Training is also going well and even Andy is doing all he is asked of by the Team.

Yulelog (photo below) has also been off his food which is a little unusual for him. With Logs off his food, we could not give him the antibiotics he needed to feel better in his fish, so we had to dart him. This was successful and Yulelog is now feeling a lot better. Flipper is feeding well with no other problems.	With the amount of rain Cornwall has had over the last few weeks, Starsky and Hutch have been a little sad, but the weather is set to brighten up over the next few days. The Animal Care Team have also had to put these little guys on a diet, as they are looking a little chubby.	All three boys have their good days and bad days with their training. We have even had to station a member of the team at the other side of the enclosure so the other members of the team can get out safely. Diego is still barking hoping he will get fed quicker. André is starting to sound more like a Californian sea lion and less like a squeaky door.

News Updates for 2009