Lenie’s account of a “quiet” Saturday
The last couple of days we were inundated with sick seals. That meant extra busy times for the SRRC-employees in Pieterburen. But it also means extra busy times for the people working the field: the seal first-aiders, volunteers and many others. Indeed, behind every seal arriving in Pieterburen, a large logistic operation has already taken place. Are you interested what happens on such a Saturday?
Saturday morning seven thirty: The first call. A seal has been found on Terschelling. Our regular seal first-aider, Hessel, is celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary in Gran Canaria. However, he is available for long-distance organisation of the communication lines. His seal first-aid colleague Jeroen in Terschelling makes sure that the seal can be transported with the quick ferryboat the “Kogelwieck” and arrives in Harlingen at 9.45 AM.
8:00 AM: A telephone call from our seal first-aider Willem in Vlieland. He has a very sick seal and the ferry is not leaving until 11.45 AM. Our seal chauffeur, André is already underway to Harlingen. A quick deliberation: if we organise for a speedboat to take the seal from Vlieland to Harlingen, André will be able to take both seals back with him.
While André is waiting in Harlingen for the second seal, Willem calls again: The police reported another very weak seal in Vlieland. Thanks to Willem’s quick action, he was able to send two sick seals on the very fast “Typhoon”, belonging to shipping company “Rederij Noordgat”, to Harlingen. André came for one seal, but is now leaving for Pieterburen with three seals.
In the meantime, a call comes in from our seal first-aider Dirk in Ameland. He was checking what had washed ashore after the storm and the first thing he came across was a very sick seal. Our second driver, Enno, sets off towards Holwerd to pick this animal up from the Ameland ferry. As always, an empty transport basket is taken on board for a following patient.
Noon: A sheep farmer reports a dead porpoise near the dyke along the Frisian North coast. One of our people, Meindert, lives in Friesland. He picks it up and brings it to Pieterburen.
1 PM. The Brandaris reports from Schiermonnikoog: A dead porpoise has been spotted near post 5. We pass the message on to our people in Schier, Teun and Bouke. They get on the case. We will hear later whether the animal is still fit for autopsy.
Another telephone call from Terschelling: A dead dolphin, 1.50 metres tall, has been found. The animal died on the beach and is therefore very fresh, which is important for research. It must be picked up quickly. Luckily, the “Kogelwieck” agrees to take it. Then, another call from Jeroen: another sick seal in Terschelling. It can travel on the “Kogelwieck” along with the dolphin, which is proving a little too large for a wash basket. Meanwhile, we get in touch with the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Utrecht, where the dolphin and the porpoise will have to be examined on Sunday (tomorrow). That means that we must organise for the two cadavers to arrive in Utrecht tomorrow morning. Our regular driver, Bertus, luckily has time, so that is easily organised.
3 PM. Willem finds a dead premature baby seal on the beach in Vlieland. Normally, the grey seal’s young are not born until the birth season, which starts at the end of November and carries on until the beginning of January.
It is never-ending. At seven there is another report of a seal in Terschelling. The ferry has stopped running for the day so we had to organise a speed boat and call Meindert into action: a drive to Harlingen to return with the sick seal.
At the SRRC, the employees go to great lengths to care for all those seals. There are now 105 seals at the SRRC, 80 of which are very sick lungworm patients. They need a lot of attention. And, for every newcomer a place must be created.
And Sunday is yet to come....
10-17-2009 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
