An orphan seal pup, only 10 days old, was found in early November on a beach in Crete and sent to Athens to be taken care of by the Society for the Study and Protection of the Mediterranean Seal (mother) until he is old enough to be was to be released. its natural environment, healthy.

The port authority, which discovered the seal after a call from the townspeople, immediately contacted the organization for instructions on how to properly handle the incident so that the animal was safe. The Society for the Study and Protection of the Mediterranean Seal – Mom was founded in 1988 and has been caring for orphaned or sick seals since 1990.

“This year we have two kids. Mercury was found in October at Pyli in Evia, and now in November Minos arrived from Crete, from Sitia. Both babies, that’s the time when they should normally babysit their mothers, but they were blown away by the storm, they were sick too. We give medicines after consultation with the responsible veterinarian and we hope that in the three months that we have them here, we will release them into their natural environment again, as we do every time,” says Eleni Tunda, mom biologist. MPE.

The seal, named Minoas since it was spotted in Sitia, is kept in designated areas and in a pool where it is monitored by a veterinarian and cared for daily by mum specialists. Weighing, bathing, a gradual transition from fish paste to training to learn how to eat fish and swim are part of the daily routine of the baby, who is in the company of Hermes, also an orphaned seal, seen in October on Evia.

As Ms Tunda explains, “Because the seals are at an age where they are breastfeeding their mother, we now feed them fish paste with the necessary vitamins until they move on to the next stage when they give them fish. . And after they reach the weight they should reach, about 60 kg, and they have learned to eat fish, we let them go.”

Seals are wild mammals and when they approach beaches or harbors, it is essential to their own well-being and survival that people avoid contact with them. If seals are found, citizens are advised to move away, not to look for contacts and, of course, not to feed them. If they think the animal may be in trouble, they are advised to call the port authority and the mother immediately.

Source: RES-IPE