seal

A rare baby seal was found washed up on a beach near Muizenberg, this is the story of how Edward Flipperhands was saved!

 

The journey began back in June 2017 when a quick witted member of the public out walking along Capricorn beach (a 16 hectare site fronting onto the False Bay Coastal Park at Muizenberg) reported a distressed seal pup in need of help.

Wildlife Trainee Inspector Minette Pieterse & Trainee Inspector Connor Berning responded to the call immediately.

On arriving at Capricorn Beach the inspectors identified the stranded seal as a Sub-Antarctic Fur seal which is fairly uncommon along our shores. They believe that the animal had possibly become disorientated and as a result washed up on shore dehydrated and malnourished.

The recent storms off the coast during that time may have caused it to separate from its mother or the mother may have died.

“Thanks to support from people like you our Wildlife Inspectors have been able to properly care for him during his stay at our Wildlife Unit’s Short Term Care Facility. In the first few weeks he was monitored every few hours and fed a diet rich in supplements to ensure he would quickly between 4- 6kg.”

On arrival Edward was being handfed, which is quite a task with those sharp teeth, to bolster his recovery – after a few weeks they were very happy to find him he eating unassisted which was a great sign. There is no doubt that he would have died had it not been for their intervention.

He was really malnourished upon arrival and it took significant commitment on the part of the staff to get Edward eating and thriving. Naturally, this amount of human interaction coupled with the fact that Edward has never hunted for his own food, left the team seriously concerned that he would deteriorate and be at significant risk if they simple released him back to the ocean.

By mid-October the seal, affectionately dubbed “Edward Flipperhands”, had been at the Short Term Wildlife rehabilitation centre for almost 4 months. The tricky part to his release centred around the fact that Edward was also very far from home as this specific species of seal are only occasional visitors to South Africa’s shores – so even if Edward could thrive on his own, he would not be likely to meet another of his kind in the near future.

“This was when we called in the team from Bayworld, Port Elizabeth who happened to have 2 Sub-Antarctic Seals in their care and which would be invaluable to Edward’s rehabilitation process.”

These two seals are also being rehabilitated and will be returned to their natural habitat together with Edward when they are ready.  This is so important because they will be able to teach Edward to hunt and feed and behave essentially like a seal would in the wild.

“The next mission was to figure out how on earth to get a seal to Port Elizabeth as quickly and stress free as possible. A quick call to the Bid Air Cargo team and many crossed fingers led to a sponsored trip for our oceanic visitor.

But on October 5th Edward took to the skies thanks to the carriers generous assistance. The CoGH SPCA couldn’t have pulled it off without their help and are forever grateful.

“As BidAir Cargo PetLounge we work with different kinds of animals on a daily basis. Upon hearing Edward’s story, we immediately jumped at the opportunity to assist and can recall seeing him for the first time that he was really special. As BidAir Cargo PetLounge, getting involved was a no-brainer as we care for our VIP’s (Very Important Pets) and the animals are our top priority when they fly with us. We always ensure our clients that “They’re in good hands”. – Natasha Willis Petlounge Product Manager

“Caring for Edward has been an incredible experience for all at the CoGH SPCA and we look forward to sharing news of his release with you when that day comes – he really does deserve to be back in the wild where he belongs.”

To report any wildlife in need of care please call 021 700 4158/9 or a/h on 083 326 1604 for assistance.


Sources: GTG interview
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Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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