-
Fish Meal
Photograph by Peter Dejong, AP
A volunteer feeds a gray seal pup a herring at a seal-rehabilitation center in the Netherlands on January 12.
More than a hundred of the young marine mammals have washed up along the country's northern coastline following recent storms, according to the Agence France-Presse news service.
The incident is an extreme example among a recent increase in pup strandings, experts say. Overfishing has reduced the seals' available prey, and the polluted fish the animals do catch often make them sick.
"In the last two or three years we have seen more and more seals wash up too weak to look after themselves," Lenie 't Hart, director of the Zeehondencrèche seal nursery, told AFP.
(See "Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice.")
Published January 18, 2012
-
Seal Nursery
Photograph by Peter Dejong, AP
Inundated with seals, the Zeehondencrèche facility was forced to erect a temporary tent with bathtubs and swimming pools to house their furry patients.
Each new arrival is washed, given fluids, and then fed a "porridge" of ground herring and water, the AFP reported. Volunteers put medication in the herring—as seen above on January 12—to speed up the animals' recovery.
Most of the nursery's rescued seals are healthy enough to be released into the Wadden Sea or North Sea within three months, according to the news agency.
(See pictures of seals and sea lions.)
Published January 18, 2012
-
Making a Splash
Photograph by Catrinus Van der Veen, European Pressphoto Agency
A rescued baby seal splashes in its bathtub on January 12.
The Zeehondencrèche facility typically treats 150 seals over an entire year. But the recent storm-driven spate of rescued pups has swelled the facility's current number to 365, according to the AFP.
(See more pictures of baby animals.)
Published January 18, 2012
-
Head Above Water
Photograph by Matt Cardy, Getty ImagesA gray seal pup peeks above the water in an outdoor pool at the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Taunton, England, on January 9.
As of January 18, the U.K. center was caring for 41 rescued seals also affected by the European storms, according to the newspaper Newmarket Journal.
"It is very unfortunate timing, as the winds and rough seas came at the exact point in the year when [baby] grey seals are left to fend for themselves and make their own way into the water," facility manager Alison Charles told the Journal.
(See pictures: "Seals, Sea Lions, Satellites Help Map Ocean.")
Published January 18, 2012
-
Meal Time
Photograph by Peter Dejong, AP
A volunteer gives a seal pup a herring while others watch on January 12. In the wild, the most vulnerable pups are those less than a year old, the AFP reported.
"These pups eat small fish, but even in protected areas, they cannot find food, because there are no more small fish left," Zeehondencrèche director 't Hart told the news agency.
Published January 18, 2012
Most Popular News
-
Year's Best Night-Sky Pictures
A holiday comet, Icelandic auroras, and the Milky Way feature among the winning shots from the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest.
-
New Planet in Our Solar System?
An unseen world might be disturbing the orbits of several objects in the outer solar system, new calculations hint.
-
Prehistoric "Panda" Found in Spain
A small fossil bear recently identified in Spain suggests China's giant panda has European roots, a new study says.
Advertisement
News Blogs
-
Another 'Game-Changer' for Natural Gas
Not fracking with millions of gallons of water this time round — waterless fracking.
-
Across France for 10 Cents
While preparing for Eco-marathon next week, Team Polyjoule from France achieves a world record in another competition.
-
Women Filmmakers Share Stories in Zambia
The ability – and courage – to tell our own stories is one of the most powerful tools we possess. But in some of the world’s poorest communities, men and women – but especially women — can struggle to make their voices heard.
ScienceBlogs Picks
Connect With Nat Geo
