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Baby seals saved from harsh death
Record number of animals brought to rescue centres
Martha Tropea, The Daily News
Published: Thursday, August 02, 2007
An abandoned seal pup discovered on Nanaimo's Departure Bay beach is one of dozens found around Vancouver Island in recent weeks, leaving rescuers scrambling to cope.
The Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre, located on Saltspring Island, is treating about 73 sick, malnourished or abandoned harbour seal pups. That's significantly more than staff are used to dealing with at this time of the year, said rehabilitator Renee Koplan.
"It's probably the busiest pupping season we've had in the 11 years since the centre opened," she said.
On Wednesday, they had to make room for one more, after Nanaimo resident Paula Ashby discovered a one-week old seal pup that had apparently been cast aside by its mother.
Ashby was swimming in Departure Bay around 10 a.m., when she saw the shiny figure in front of her.
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me," she said.
Ashby stood close by as the small mammal, about the size of two footballs, struggled onto the beach.
"He was just pulling himself out of the water because he was so exhausted," she said, sheltering the spotted seal pup from the sun with her beach towel. The province's conservation office told Ashby to leave the seal alone, not to touch it, and if it was still there the next day, to call back.
As soon as Ashby began to retreat, a swarm of gawking crows gathered around the helpless pup.
After being deferred to several different animal welfare agencies, Deanna Whiteside, who was tanning nearby, got through to the Island Wildlife Care Centre.
Centre volunteers Ed Harris and his wife Linda arrived shortly after 11 a.m., took one look at the pup and knew it was in danger. They scooped it into a crate and put the pup in their car (already acting as a temporary shelter for an injured eagle, two small birds, and a rabbit that had been hit by a vehicle).
Ed said the pup, Ashby named it 'Spek,' was less than a week old and weighed about 6.3 kilograms. A healthy newborn pup weighs between nine and 11 kilograms.
Had it been left alone, Linda said, it could have been eaten by birds and suffered "a horrible" death.
Senior rehabilitator Marielle Bonnet recommended anyone who encounters deserted seal pups to call the recovery centre (250-537-0777).
The surge in rejected seal pups could be due to depleted fish stocks or disease but it is still too early to tell, she said. If a mother seal is too weak and does not have enough food it will miscarry or leave its pup, said Bonnet.
"It's hard to tell so far because it's just the first month," she said, noting they would have a better handle on the situation in late August or early September when pupping season is over.
Vancouver Aquarium rehabilitation co-ordinator Sheryl Barber said just because a pup is alone does not mean it has been abandoned.
"It's important that people do not assume its in need of help," she said, noting they have fewer seals to care for this year than in the past.
Unlike other species of seals, harbour seal mothers feed as they raise their young, and can leave them ashore for a short period of time.
"That's why it's important to talk to us," she said.
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© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2007