The heavy storm that raged over the Netherlands also had consequences for the rehabilitated seals in Pieterburen. One of the two large tents which were pitched to provide extra space for seal-rehabilitation this winter needed to be vacated this evening. The 53 seals that were being rehabilitated there were relocated to the SRRC-building. Thanks to Heiploeg’s quick action in the afternoon, two large lorries had been placed alongside the two tents to protect them from the biggest blasts of wind. For one of the tents this protection was enough, but for the other, which took the full brunt of the west wind, the protection was not sufficient. Following the tent-owner’s advice we evacuated the tent and everyone put their efforts in to move all the seals. In less than half an hour we had found them all new places within the building.
Lots of imagination and creativity was needed to find all these spaces. Seals were placed in the SRRC’s visitor centre, the cinema and in Lenie’s office. We expect that the seals will be able to return to their own space in the tent as soon as the storm has died down. At the moment there are a total of 192 seals in rehabilitation in Pieterburen: 106 grey seals and 86 common seals.
18-01-2007 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
