On January 1st, an exhausted stray Ringed Seal was brought in to the SRRC. The exhausted animal was found near Vlieland. Normally, Ringed Seals are not found near the Netherlands: their habitat is in the northern waters such as the Arctic Ocean. If a Ringed Seal does reach the Dutch coast it has undoubtedly lost its way and is usually dead tired.
The Ringed Seal, which is staying at the SRRC, is about eight months old. It is a male animal and weighs about 9 kilos. It will probably have to stay in Pieterburen for a couple of weeks to some months to grow strong again. After that, it will be released by helicopter near the Doggerbank.
The SRRC gets Ringed Seals in once or twice a year on average. Most Ringed Seals that are rehabilitated at the SRRC are younger than a year. Occasionally, adult animals are brought in. The last Ringed Seal was brought in during the 2007 spring.
Ringed Seals are different from common seals because they have a somewhat fatter body and shorter neck. Their back is speckled dark grey with numerous light grey or white rings. The pups are born in spring in snow huts that they build on the pack ice and have a woolly fur. They stay with their mother for seven to eight weeks. The polar bear is the Ringed Seal’s greatest threat. The Ringed Seal cannot be seen by the public, because it is staying in quarantine. Willem the Ringed Seal can be seen temporarily on webcam 5 (quarantine 8)
01-02-2009 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
