He arrived by helicopter, briskly made his way through the SRRC to the front of the premises and with a vigorous pull on the cord he unveiled a beautifully decorated army delivery van. With this act, State Secretary van de Knaap (Defense) not only donated the Mercedes-van to SRRC Lenie ‘t Hart, but also medical equipment including an X-ray machine and an anaesthesia machine.
It all started in January this year when the SRRC suddenly had over a hundred baby grey seals to care for. This generated so many extra costs that a general appeal was launched for people to donate towels and other necessary materials. When the Ministry of Defence’s DMO department (Defence Material Organisation) heard about this appeal they called the SRRC to inquire whether they a Mercedes delivery van would be of any use.
Naturally, the SRRC employees reacted with enthusiasm, especially when it became clear that apart from the van, medical equipment was also available. Head of seal care Boukje Mulder and vet Lobke Bouwknegt were invited by the ministry of Defence to come and see what materials were suitable for seal care.
The donation has been accepted with much gratitude: The SRRC is not subsidised and such equipment, which can be put to good use for the treatment of seals, is really invaluable for the SRRC. Thanks to the Ministry of Defence’s generous offer it is now possible for the SRRC to improve the quality of seal care even more.
After the presentation, the State Secretary and his company were given a tour of the SRRC and lunch. They were also able to enjoy the tranquillity of the Groninger countryside until the helicopter arrived noisily to pick them up again. The SRRC is happy that the Ministry of Defence also thinks about the seals in the Wadden Sea.
05-06-2007 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
