Magnus’ eyes have been improving every week with the new eye drops. His nursery pool is being drained during the day to allow the eye drops to be most effective. Magnus seems to be enjoying the special treatment although when the pool gets filled at the end of the day he has been sitting with his chin on the side of his pool staring lovingly through the fence at his top female Fatima who keeps him company from the other side of the fence. Although he may like to go back in the main pool with the others, the vet has been in to see him and is encouraged by his progress and has asked the animal care team to continue with the current treatment for now.

Sheba and Ray are still in love and are never found very far apart. Ray has now become very protective over Sheba and the animal care team have to watch their legs when walking past them as Ray it seems has developed a very long stretchy neck that can strike from several paces without having to move! It would seem that Marlin has been receiving the same treatment and has been forced to stay a safe distance away.

Attie is back in her element playing with all the new pups in the pool who seem to have hijacked her raft! Even Sheba, Fatima and Anneka have taken time out of their busy schedules to play or rather tease the pups which is keeping them all on their toes!

Lizzie and Snoopy are at two extremes at the moment. Lizzie is so hungry at the moment that at first sight of the fish van she pops out on the side of the pool waiting for anything fishy that might come her way, the animal care team wonder if she can get any bigger than she already is! Snoopy, on the other hand, is not in the slightest bit interested in food as she is starting her moult.

The animal care team built a new mini raft out of wooden pallets and disinfectant drums for the common seals last week in the hope that they would enjoy hauling out and playing on it. Initially, Flotsam and Jetsam were both afraid of the new toy but over the week they have come closer and closer but we are yet to see them actually haulout on it.

Flipper is recovering well from his operation and now seems back to his usual self and has started to moult. Yulelogs has accepted him back into the pool and all seems harmonious again, although all might be about to change as Yulelogs’ ever expanding summer belly has meant that he is on a diet!

The sealions have been getting lots of enrichment this week. Rocky and Pepper have been getting fishy ice blocks and feed balls, and Carus and Dips have had their favourite conger eels and Carus’ giant feedball, and as usual, Dipsy is made to watch from the sidelines as Carus devours the lot!

The otters this week have received a re-theme of their whole enclosure including new bark chippings and sand digging pits, and new mossy logs and branches to make new nesting areas out of. As usual, Thai and Bamboo waited in their holt very impatiently and could be heard protesting very loudly until they were let out to explore their new environment. Shortly afterwards all went quiet as the otters got busy re-arranging everything to get it just how they like it!

With all the cold weather the goats and ponies have been given shavings beds to keep them warm at night and plenty of extra hay and hard food to fill their tummies!

Two new pups have arrived at the sanctuary both on the Tuesday 22nd of November 2005.    Bob (see photo below) was rescued from Carbis Bay and was severally malnourished with a few bite wounds. Whilst on the way back from delivering an injured gullimot to the Mousehole Bird Hospital late in the afternoon, the animal care team were called out to Newlyn to take a look at a seal that had been hauled out on the rocks against the sea wall for two days.    Vixen (see photo below), as she was later named due to her fiesty temperament, was malnourished with tar on her back and a swollen front right flipper. Both have been recovering well in the hospital but both have been snuggling under heat lamps to maintain their temperatures in the cold weather. Both seals are feeding themselves and are now putting on weight.

Shambles (see photo below) has been recovering quicker then anyone could imagine. The vet has been in this week to examine her and is surprised by her speedy recovery despite the injuries and condition she arrived with. After being on a drip, receiving antibiotics, pain relief and regular wound cleaning, her wounds are healing well and she has gone from being very poorly and tired looking to a fiesty bright little seal who loves her fish.

Quinn, who was rescued by BDMLR from Port Quinn in North Cornwall, has recovered from her respiratory infection and bite wounds and has put on enough weight to this week to be moved down to the nursery pools along with Blonde. Although only in the pool for two days, Quinn has been teaching Blonde to feed herself without the interfering noisy boys, Guinness and Tusker, who today (1st December 2005) both moved out into the convalescent pool for their next stage of rehabilitation.

In the convalescent pool, all the pups are doing very well. Skinner is the biggest at 37.5kg and Mite the next biggest at 35kg – almost release weight! Thatcher and Spike are not far behind and it is hoped that all four can be released in the new year!