12-08-2009SRRC happy with support from House of Representatives
The SRRC is very happy that the majority of the House of Representatives support parliament members Atsma (CDA) and Snijder-Hazelhoff (VVD)’s motion. Read more
12-03-2009Help the SRRC
As you have probably heard or read, we are taking in many sick seals. The SRRC is never ‘full’, because we would not let a sick seal fend for itself! Contrary to what our critics say, we do not receive any money from charity lotteries. Read more
12-03-2009180 portions of fishmeal a day
Lenie ’t Hart, vet Mostafa Shahi Ferdous and the team of seal carers hold their breath every time the phone rings. Not another report of a sick seal? In the last couple days six to eight sick seals have been brought to Pieterburen every day. Read more
11-23-2009SRRC saves first baby grey seal ‘Southwester’
Today, this year’s first baby grey seal has been brought to the SRRC for rehabilitation. The pup, with its beautiful white baby fur, was found motherless on the Terschelling beach by our seal first aider, Hessel Wiegman. Read more
11-16-2009Akersloot school kids organise fabulous bottle collection drive
Today, Lenie ’t Hart visited the children in group six of the Sint Johannes school in Akersloot. Recently, these pupils had done their best to collect as much money as possible for the seals. Read more
11-05-2009SRRC happy with new seal transporter
All seals at the SRRC have been picked up somewhere along the coast. Every year, that means travelling huge distances. Seeing as the SRRC has no money for better seal transport, we appealed to a number of very kind people... Read more
11-03-2009Sick seals keep pouring in
It doesn’t stop: reports of critically ill seals crawling on the beaches. Today, November 3rd, no less than ten sick seals were brought to the SRRC in Pieterburen. Last weekend there were five. They are from Terschelling, Vlieland, Ameland, Schiermonnikoog and along the North Sea coast... That brings the number of severe lungworm patients to over one hundred. This is more than twice as many as over the same period last year, and even then we were getting worried about the increase. Read more
10-17-2009Lenie’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?
Click here for Lenie ‘t Hart’s report.
10-14-2009Heart warming reactions
Fantastic, the way the Dutch population responds when help is needed for our seals. Within a minute of Lenie ’t Hart’s plea for bathtubs, towels, volunteers and money on Radio 538, she received a call from a man offering a Jacuzzi. From that moment on, the calls didn’t stop. Read more
10-12-2009Press release: Autumnal weather causes a tsunami of sick and malnourished seals
The SRRC in Pieterburen has its hands full with rescuing sick seals that are now washing ashore along the Dutch coast. In two days time, 14 sick animals have been brought in. That brings the total number of patients at the SRRC over the last weeks to more than one hundred. It is to be expected that the numbers will rise even more. Read more
In the following weeks, we are expecting many seals at the SRRC. To be able to give them the best care possible we need large towels and flannel sheets. If you have any of these at home, which you no longer use, we would love to have them. We would appreciate it if you could come and bring them yourself, but you can also send them in the post. In that case, could you contact us first? Our telephone number is: (0595) 526 526. Thank you!
10-11-2009Joy and sadness in the Wadden Sea
Last Saturday was another Beautiful Day. Four seals, which were taken back to the Wadden Sea on the old lifeboat “Gebroeders Luden”, joyfully dove into the sea under the watchful eye of their ‘adoptive’ parents. However, the same day, four critically ill seals were also brought in to the SRRC. Read more
10-07-2009Report on a rescue mission
Because of the storm, father and son van Hooff set out for an adventure on the beach at Wijk aan Zee last weekend. To their great surprise, they found a sick seal amongst the driftwood and wreckage.
Want to read their report? Read more
10-05-2009French net victim
This weekend, the SRRC received a call from the LPA (Ligue Protectrice des animaux), an animal protection organisation in Calais, France. They had a mature grey seal that had got its head stuck in a fishing net. The poor animal had been seen swimming around for over a week, hurt and with the net around its neck. But he had now become so weak that they were able to catch him and undo him from the net. Read more
10-04-2009Franciscus’ animal day
Report by Lenie ’t Hart:
Last night, the phone rang at half past one. My first thought was: “Oh no, not another prank call.” (Men (hardly ever women) have been known to call me in the middle of the night after a drinking spell singing a song by a Dutch comedian about a horse in the hallway, only in my case they are singing about a seal in mine.) Read more
10-01-2009Press release: In 2009, 170 common seals have already been brought in to the SRRC
The SRRC in Pieterburen is taking in more and more seals. Last winter, the seal hospital rehabilitated over 150 seals, who were all suffering from a lung worm infection, in the space of only a couple of months. Compare this to the winter of 2007-2008, when only 70 seals were brought in with the lung worm infection. Read more
09-17-2009Celebrating freedom
Releasing seals is always reason for celebration. Even more so, if it coincides with your birthday, and if they are seals you found yourself. To make the occasion even more special, we used the “Gebroeders Luden”, an old lifeboat from which I released my very first baby seal 37 years ago. Read more
09-16-2009Day of the queen’s speech
It has happened again. IMARES’ researchers, aided by the ministry of Agriculture, caught seals on the day of the Queen’s speech and severely disrupted the seals’ peace in the Dollard. Read more
09-14-2009Lenie ’t Hart asks minister to stop animal tests on seals
Lenie ’t Hart makes an urgent plea to the ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality to put an immediate ban on research institute IMARES’ plans to conduct tests on dozens of seals in the eastern Wadden Sea area and the Dollard.
From September this year, IMARES wants to catch dozens of seals every year between 2009 and 2014 in the eastern Wadden Sea area and the Dollard, in order to glue a transmitter to their heads before releasing them again. During a previous test a seal with a transmitter on its head was found dead in Vlieland. The animal had starved to death. Read more
09-13-2009Lenie ’t Hart in top-ten “Inspiring green Dutch people”
Who is the most inspiring green Dutch person? This question was posed on the nature magazine Grasduinen’s website. The top-30 will be presented in the latest edition, compiled from 50 nominees. To our great delight, Lenie has been given seventh place. Read more
09-01-2009Recruiting new supporters for the SRRC on Friday September 4th
On Friday, the fourth of September in Groningen, Drachten, Leeuwarden and Assen’s city centres we will be recruiting new supporters for the SRRC. The people recruiting supporters are recognisable by T-shirts carrying the SRRC logo. It concerns a one-off campaign. Read more
08-12-2009Two hundredth seal released this year
Last Tuesday, it was a festive day in Terschelling: two seals were being brought back to their natural habitat. What made it extra special was that one of the seals in question had only recently – July 21st - been brought to the SRRC, entangled in a net with very deep wounds, and had recovered very quickly. The other was a common seal who, after 5 months fighting lungworm was now fully recovered and ready to go home. To complete this milestone: these were seals number 199 and 200 to be released this year by the SRRC. Read more
08-02-2009Respite for the San Diego seals
Things are looking good for the seal colony that was threatened with removal from a beach near San Diego. Many private persons and organisations – under which the SRRC – have appealed to governor Schwarzenegger. He has now signed a law allowing San Diego to decide about the use of the beach. Read more
07-28-2009Maaike walked for the seals on the Four-Day-Walk
There is no greater SRRC fan than the nineteen year old Maaike de Breed from Malden. Last week, she walked four laps of 40 kilometres in the Four-day-walk in Nijmegen, especially for the seals. But it did not start with that. Maaike had already been campaigning for the SRRC for months. Read more
07-20-2009Help the SRRC with your vote!
Now it is even easier to help the SRRC. All you must do is vote for the SRRC! We have entered the following two campaigns... Read more
07-20-2009Lenie ’t Hart sends telegram to Governor Schwarzenegger
This afternoon, Lenie ’t Hart sent a telegram to governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the imminent removal of a group of seals on the beach near San Diego. She wrote: “Please let the seals be allowed to stay on the beach. The common seal is a very vulnerable species.” Read more
07-15-2009Art project at the SRRC
This summer, a unique art project is being held at the SRRC. Johanna and Eva, two German students from the Bremen Art School, will be here doing voluntary work until July 29th. They will be holding arts and crafts workshops for all children visiting the SRRC’s visitor centre. Read more
07-15-2009Dinie and Skipper become Zeeland’s seal ambassadors
Hundreds of enthusiastic seaside visitors on the Renesse beach watched with interest as the Zeeland seals, Dini and Skipper, returned back to sea. They and Lenie ‘t Hart marked the beginning of the Seal Watch Beach Party at the beach pavilion “Zuid-Zuid-West”. Both seals had been found sick and in need of help some months ago in Zeeland. After a rehabilitation period at SRRC Lenie ‘t Hart they had recovered sufficiently to be released back to their natural habitat. Read more
07-12-2009Sponsor a seal’s meal of herring for a day
This summer, visitors at SRRC Lenie ‘t Hart will be able to help ‘feed’ the seals. With this campaign, SRRC visitors can sponsor a seal’s meal of herring for 5 Euros. This covers the costs of one seal’s daily feed. Read more
07-10-2009Baby seals in distress after bad weather
Many common seals will be born this season. Tourists in the Wadden Sea area may be able to see seals with their pups on the sandbanks at low tide. Because of the hard winds, heavy rain showers and high tides in recent days, chances are that baby seals have lost their mums. Therefore, the SRRC asks everyone to look out for seals in need of help. Read more
06-29-2009Seal count in the Wadden Sea: numbers remain stable
On June 20th, the SRRC has carried out an observational flight over the Wadden Sea. A four hour flight was made at low tide, zigzagging over the sandbanks, taking a team from Den Helder to the Dollard. Over 4300 seals were counted in total, under which many Common seal pups. Last year, over 4100 seals were counted. Read more
06-28-2009Awarded World Heritage Site
Hip hip hooray! The Wadden Sea has been given a Michelin star. Does that mean that the seals have a star too? Will they be living in a better environment? Will their fish be less polluted? That would be great, but possibly a star too far...
But there is more to celebrate... Read more
06-28-2009Schools campaign in aid of the SRRC
In recent weeks, many children have been devoting themselves to the SRRC. Lenie ‘t Hart opened the Florencius School in Naarden and visited the International School in The Hague. In both cases she was given a large sum to take back for the seals. Read more
06-18-2009Brilliant financial support for the SRRC from NSDH
They appeared unexpectedly: Janneke Ruiter and Harry Fillinger from the NSDH (Dutch Foundation for Animal Aid). When they heard how great the SRRC’s financial needs were, they did not hesitate one second and offered to help. From now on, for the next five years, the SRRC will be able to count on a hefty monthly contribution from the NDSH, so that all the seals in rehabilitation will actually be able to receive the help they need. Read more
06-14-2009Baby-seal season has started
In the last days, a couple of lost seal babies have already been found on the Wadden Islands and along the coast. They are mostly premature pups. You can tell this by their white baby fur. Thursday evening, a baby was picked up at the Lauwersoog lock, and this weekend reports started coming in of crying baby seals along the Wadden Sea coast. Read more
05-30-2009Playing became torture
Jan Koning from Vlieland came across this awfully tied up seal in a piece of net on the Engelse Hoek sandbank on Friday evening. Possibly, it got stuck while hunting for food, but it could also have been playful curiosity that caused the animal to become caught up. The struggle caused the net to cut deeply into its body. Read more
05-26-2009Book celebration in Pieterburen
Lieke van Duin, author of the popular children’s series “Tim and Taco” has written a new book: “Tim and Taco save a seal”. On Wednesday June 3rd the first copy will be presented in Pieterburen to ‘seal-man’ Hessel Wiegman, who plays a large part in Tim and Taco’s new adventure. Read more
05-17-2009Weblog Lenie - It has started again!
With the onset of May I start getting restless. I check our database hundreds of times to see when, in the previous years, the first baby seals started coming in and where they were found. Two hours after high tide, it is impossible for me to stay in the house, because the dike where the first baby seal is found almost every time is just behind our house. Read more
05-10-2009First baby seal in 2009
On mother’s day the phone rang very early at the SRRC: tourists had found a baby seal on Ameland. The young animal was found on the beach motherless. Read more
04-30-2009Croco returned back to sea
Terschelling, 29 April 2009. Croco was found on Terschelling a couple of months ago. He has become quite well known because he swallowed a piece of hose during feeding. How have things gone for him since then? Read more
04-30-2009Another net victim saved
While SRRC employees, along with their guests, were busy releasing Croco and four other seals, Jan Koning called from Vlieland. He had spotted a seal with a piece of nylon netting around his neck, lying on the Engelse Hoek sandbank. Could he be saved? Read more
04-19-2009Seppe probably drowned
This afternoon, specialists carried out an autopsy on Seppe, the seal that escaped from the SRRC two months ago and which was found dead last Friday in the Sneek Lake. Though the animal was already in a state of decomposition, some facts could be assessed. Read more
04-17-2009Seppe has not survived his adventure
This morning, the SRRC received a report from the police in Friesland. The Start Island pavilion manager in the Sneek Lake reported that tourists had seen a dead seal floating near Start Island. A couple of SRRC workers immediately went to the spot. Unfortunately, they had to confirm that it was indeed the runaway seal, Seppe.
Read more
04-08-2009Weblog Lenie - Three cheers for the Nature Conservation Law
This morning our doorbell rang and when I answered the door there were two large Men in Uniform, who ruthlessly placed some kind of helmet on my head with a 25cm long antenna on top of it. “You must participate in our test” they said, “a factory has been planned in the area and we need to know who will be inconvenienced by this.” Read more
03-29-2009Black Beauty has been adopted
Lenie’s appeal, which appeared on SBS6’s Hart van Nederland on Wednesday evening, March 25th, for someone to adopt the black seal, Black Beauty, has been successful. The first bidder called immediately after the broadcast. Read more
03-24-2009Black Lola’s little sister?
On Sunday, March 22nd, a very dark grey seal weighing 18 kilos was found on Terschelling. When the young animal was washed at the SRRC, it turned out to be a beautiful black seal, the spitting image of the famous Black Lola. Read more
03-20-2009Lenie’s Weblog
It is happening: Lenie will finally be following in the footsteps of the masses. Who in this day and age does not have a weblog? Lenie! But from today this is going to change. Read more
03-17-2009Hip hip hurray! 100 seals freed this year: This is why we do it!
They were so ill, the seals that were brought to the SRRC in recent months. They could hardly breathe, had bloody mouths and their eyes showed only a flikker of life. Never before did we have so many sick seals at the SRRC in one go and all bursting with lungworms, which are parasites that destroy their lungs and make breathing nearly impossible. Read more
03-03-2009Congratulations, Prime Minister Putin!
"Congratulations on your courageous decision to ban seal hunting in the White Sea. You are an ally in our struggle against the seal hunt. The Ladoga Seal needs your help as well. I am willing to help you protect this seal. The SRRC, as largest seal hospital in the world, has already rescued and released two Ladoga seals in cooperation with the Leningrad Zoo.
Yours Sincerely, Lenie 't Hart"
So read the telegram that Lenie ‘t Hart sent to Russian Prime Minister Putin today. Because, to our immense delight, Putin radically brought an end to the seal hunt in the White Sea, east of Finland. Read more
02-27-2009Seppe probably on his way home
Last Wednesday, unfortunately, he outsmarted us again. Despite SRRC workers’ great efforts and fantastic support from people on the spot, such as the province of Friesland, Seppe was able to pass the net that was stretched across the Tsjonger at Mildam. Read more
02-25-2009Seppe’s capture in full swing
On Tuesday, Seppe, one of the escaped seals, was seen in the Tsjonger in Mildam near Heerenveen. Naturally, we went over there right away. However, he was more difficult to catch than we had hoped! Read more
02-22-2009 Who is able to take a photo of SEPPE and EMMA?
For a whole day now we have had no news regarding the escaped seals. After Workum one was spotted in Hindeloopen, swimming southwards. The other has been last seen near Zoutkamp. That was on Thursday. After that, it has stayed horridly quiet. Read more
02-19-2009 Seal wanderings through Friesland The sequel
Early onThursday morning a report came in of a seal swimming along the Snakkebuorren in Workum. The report sounded so serious and the location so promising that a large team of SRRC workers hurried full tilt to Workum with a car full of trap nets. Read more
02-18-2009 Seppe and Emma’s journey
Since the three seals’ escape on Saturday morning the SRRC workers and dozens volunteers have been doing much searching. Soon, Ulbe was spotted near the SRRC (position 1 on the map) and was caught within a couple of hours, but Emma and Seppe had vanished without a trace. So the search continued. Read more
02-14-2009 Three seals escaped, one returned
Last night, three seals escaped from one of the SRRC’s outside pools, from which they jumped into the canal which lies just behind the centre. Read more
02-13-2009 Ringed seal Willem going back home
Willem was found as an exhausted heap of misery weighing nine kilos on New Year’s Day in Vlieland. The young Ringed seal recovered quickly and, during the last couple of weeks, developed into a fierce rascal. Today the day had come: Willem was flown to gas and oil platform F3-FB-1 in a helicopter, from where he could begin his long journey of swimming back to his natural habitat in the Arctic Sea. Read more
02-12-2009 SRRC definitely staying in Pieterburen
SRRC Lenie ‘t Hart is definitely staying in Pieterburen. There, the facilities for seal rehabilitation will undergo drastic remodelling and substantial extensions. This will be paid for by the van Klooster Foundation in The Hague. Read more
02-09-2009 More sick seals than ever before
Since September 2008, a total of 134 have been taken in ill. To compare: last year, during the same period, “only” 52 seals with the lungworm infection were admitted. The illness in itself is not new. However, with exception to the virus period of 2002, I have never seen so many sick seals come in before. Read more
01-21-2009 Lenie 't Hart reads aloud at the Storytelling Breakfast
Breathlessly, the children of primary school OBS De Meent in Schildwolde listened to stories read by Lenie ‘t Hart, as part of the National Storytelling Breakfast.
Read more
01-05-2009 Warm support from Dierenlot Foundation
A contribution from Foundation Dierenlot’s (Animal Fate) emergency fund is literally heart-warming. When the SRRC knocked on their door for help, this foundation was immediately willing to help. It was an appeal for help to insulate a shed on the SRRC site. Read more
01-02-2009 Ringed Seal in the SRRC
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. Read more
Newsarchive 2009
