Cornish Seal Sanctuary 'seals off' winter pup season
They rescued 50 young seals over the winter season - spending nearly £30,000 on vet bills and medication
Last updated 15th Jun 2024
Dozens of seal pups have been saved from around Cornwall's coastline this season.
With the results officially in, official figures for the 2022-23 winter season have highlighted another busy winter, with the team working hard to rescue, rehabilitate and release the grey seal pups from around Cornwall's coastline.
The season runs from September to March, with the Cornish Seal Sanctuary spending nearly £30,000 on vet visits and medication for the pups.
Their first pup arrived on the site back in August, and the last was released at the end of April this time around, which is a longer season than the team usually deal with.
From malnourishment to respiratory issues, the team welcomed 50 grey seal pups and have come out of the season with an 86% release rate.
Curator Tamara Cooper said: “It’s been another busy pup season for the team and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve.
“Our main mission as a charity is to support this incredible marine species, and to provide a permanent home to those who can’t be released back to the wild.
“As we end this season, we’re now prepping for the next one – and every donation counts.”
Through the season, the Sanctuary spent almost £10,000 on vet visits, £17,500 on drugs and a total of 6,000 staff hours caring for the pups across the site.
Supplies also added a significant cost to the sanctuary, with the team using more than 3,200 needles and almost 7,500 iron and vitamin tablets to help nurse pups back to full health.
The Sanctuary, which sits on the Helford Estuary at Gweek, near Helston, has been rescuing pups from around Cornwall (and beyond) for more than six decades, with hundreds of pups in need of urgent care making their way through the Seal Hospital.
This year, they worked with local vets Head & Head, based in Helston, for several major surgeries, including a successful flipper amputation and several eye removals.
Tamara added: “We can’t do what we do without the generosity of the public, ensuring we can help to support more grey seal pups for years to come.
“A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us this season, and don’t forget to find out what you can do to help for the 2023-24 season later this summer.”
Each year, the charity will see an estimated 50-70 pups come through the doors from September to March, with care for each pup costing an average of £2,000 - £3,000.
Other key stats from the 2022/23 winter season:
- 12,000 'welly changes' were carried out by members of the team
- 50 pups rescued - 24 female, 26 male
- 43 pups released
- 8% were maternally-dependent
- The youngest pup was 2 days old
- 26% were wounded
- 42% were malnourished
- 22% had a respiratory disease
- 2% were entangled
- 774 'weighing sessions' were carried out
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary’s rescue, rehab and release project is all about saving grey seal pups from around the Cornish coastline.
You can find out more about the Sanctuary here or donate to their wishlist appeal here.