10:00 10:30
Staff and volunteers stop for a tea break .
A DAY WORKING WITH OUR SEALS
By Harry Petheram
At West Hatch we admit and care for between 80-100 seals every year . This is a little insight into our working day with the seals housed in our intensive care cubicles .
Staff arrive at work . Quick
8:00 morning check and a hose down ( or maybe two depending on how messy they are ) before preparing their breakfast .
Morning feeds and treatments . There are different diets depending on the seal ’ s age , condition and how long they have been in care .
Newborn white seals normally require fish soup and electrolytes which is tube fed by a trained member of staff before progressing onto a whole fish ( every fish is checked for hooks before feeding ). Older seals ( post moult ) may need to be assist fed if they are not feeding by themselves .
The last of the
10:30 13:00 cleaning is done and the seals that are healthy and in good condition are given the chance to have a splash around and enjoy a flooded pen whilst the ones in poorer condition are checked for hydration and tube fed electrolytes . Hydration can be checked by looking at the specks of their eyes .
The seals are weighed weekly using weigh bars and a solid platform . With a little encouragement and because of their inquisitive nature the seals are often all too willing to be weighed for a fish or two .
13:00 14:00
14:00 16:00
Lunch break .
The second feed of the day is given . The seals are once again given a quick hose down and then left for an afternoon nap .
Last task of the day is to assist the vet with tagging some of the seals . Tags are used as a method of monitoring them after their release . The tag is attached to the seal ’ s flipper and has an individual number .
Hand over to the late shift . A final
16:00 feed and hose down is given at
20:00 before locking up for the night at 21:00 .
Once the seals have been fed and had time to process their food the staff and volunteers start cleaning . Each pen has a dog bed full of water and a foam mat . These are cleaned and scrubbed daily . Some days there may be 18 pens to clean .
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