Dozens of baby seals stranded by North Sea storms
by Amy
Posted on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007 at 10:17 pm CET
In the past couple of days, 43 baby seals have been brought to the seal shelter Zeehondencreche in Pieterburen, a town in the north of the Netherlands. The babies lost their mothers and were washed ashore during rough seas.
A spokeswoman from the shelter called the number of recent new arrivals ‘extreme’. On the beaches of the Wadden Islands Vlieland and Terschelling, 23 baby seals were stranded on New Year’s Day alone.
The Zeehondencreche has set up a tent on their property to care for the large number of new arrivals. The babies will remain in the shelter for about three months. Then they will be strong enough to be set free in the sea.
Newborn seals have a white fleece-like fur which is very thick and makes swimming laborious. After three weeks they start to grow their adult fur and swimming becomes easier.
In the past couple of days, 43 baby seals have been brought to the seal shelter Zeehondencreche in Pieterburen, a town in the north of the Netherlands. The babies lost their mothers and were washed ashore during rough seas.
A spokeswoman from the shelter called the number of recent new arrivals ‘extreme’. On the beaches of the Wadden Islands Vlieland and Terschelling, 23 baby seals were stranded on New Year’s Day alone.
The Zeehondencreche has set up a tent on their property to care for the large number of new arrivals. The babies will remain in the shelter for about three months. Then they will be strong enough to be set free in the sea.
Newborn seals have a white fleece-like fur which is very thick and makes swimming laborious. After three weeks they start to grow their adult fur and swimming becomes easier.