SAVE OUR SEALS

We received lots of calls about a seal pup that had been seen over a two weeks period before it was actually found. This pup's story was interesting because it had been sighted at various points along a river in the Norfolk Broads before being brought to the Winterton hospital.

The first call had come from someone at the sailing club in Lowestoft on 30th of December 2007 in the late afternoon when it was dark. Some of the boat people had seen a white baby seal on a mud flat and wanted to pick it up. We advised them against this as the area was part of the quicksands; therefore dangerous.

In the meantime, Ken, a long-standing volunteer from Lowestoft, searched high and low for the seal but could'nt find it. We heard nothing more until 9th of January when a lady rang just before dark and reported that there was a baby seal on the grass at the back of the old library in Oulton Broads. She said it had a white coat and was fluffy. We rang Ken and Jan, two of our volunteers, and they searched for the seal but again were unable to find him.

Finally this elusive seal was found on 11th of January 2008 at Bridge Boat Yard, Oulton Broads. Richard, the boatyard owner rang to say a baby seal had been found in the boat yard. We asked Richard to secure the seal, the boatyard men succeeded in picking him up and one of our volunteers collected him and brought him into the hospital.

On arrival we named the pup Milt, he did not have any hair, he was white on one side of face and looked like a crocodile. We had received reports that people had tried to feed Milt (one report said that someone had tried to throw him some fish and chips, although we are still not convinced how true this was). Milt was half starved as he had not been able to catch fish for himself. He was sharp eyed and very quick; we think he had probably eaten eels, but he was very hungry as there are not much fish in that part of the river. So in the hospital Milt was given six fish every four hours, then eventually when he had had his fill, the little seal went to sleep.

We believe the pup was about one year old, a young grey seal. Milt probably might have been in the river for the whole year. Milt weighed 38lbs when he was found and his temperature was 36.5.

Upon his arrival, Milt was given all his medications before he got any fish. i.e. he was given worming tablets, salts and fluids as he was dehydrated. Milt has recovered quickly and is now doing well. He has indeed unusual markings, with a silver stripe down his back and a partially white face. He is a very nice seal.