Date: February 16, 2007
New
Addition to the Family, Sleeping Black Beauties,
and Dutch offers come-in.
Dear All
Cape Fur Seal Supporters,
Things have been
hectic, hectic. Paul Watson's efforts and the team at
Seashepherd have been a true inspiration, fighting for the
Whales in the icy Antarctica. They all did and said
everything, perfectly.
At the centre, I have
been battling to get the weanlings rescued that fled from
the sealers in Namibia, to self survive, but one by one, we
are slowly getting them back on their flippers and hunting.
One pup, has decided to be the centre's guard-seal, and
stations himself at night outside, protecting the premises,
before coming in each morning on my arrival.
Our Seal-Guard
We are now at
day 90, in the three baby seals rehab. 275 days to go, to
achieving our goal of a world first, group baby Cape fur
seal rehab. Our vet Bruce, recommended adding B6 to their
diet, and there has been a tremendous improvement in their
weight, health - in fact we are raising little monsters.
Omega has bonded deeply with me, and although the other two
are not fully bonded (which could pose problems on their
release in the wild), they are suckling on my skin and
accept my scent. JT answers my call, but Alpha refuses. I
am extremely positive that we will achieve our goal. There
is an incredible bond developing between all three and it
will be so exciting to watch their development in the wild,
together. Although from different colonies, they are fully
united. Mumkin, unlike the other babies rehabbed has not
left for his seven month disappearing act in the wild, like
the other pups around mid-January. I suspect, he is waiting
for me to take him out to the deep sea hunting grounds on
the jetski, which I have not done, as I was concentrating
on the Namibian culling issue this year. Popeye is nowhere
to be seen, but our first baby, now 5-years old, already a
big bull, pops in frequently.
JT, Alpha and Omega
Initially
I thought JT might be a little girl, but on Tuesday a
couple found a little seal pop its head out of the surf,
looking very confused, cold and weak. This little seal
clearly a little lady, must have washed off the False Bay
colony, swam through white shark patrolling waters, the 7
kilometres to the beach, how long she survived on her own
is unknown, but she was about 50% underweight. I promised
one of our Dutch supporters, I would name a seal after him,
although a lady, I have decided to name her Eddy, in his
honour. Our family has now grown to four.
Eddy
I am looking forward,
and hope the results are positive with the meeting on the
21st with the Deputy Director of MCM. Very little
additional work on the centre has taken place, as the next
phase requires large amounts. Instead, I had to re-do and
re-paint their pool and re-plaster the second pool. In
addition, I have stripped our three-seater jertski, for a
respray, and to get it ready for the pups phase two in the
wild.
Anjo of our Dutch website
www.sealalert.org has been
hard at work, and the Seal film done by Edward Snijders
"Seals for Real" film continues to win awards, and his
has been nominated for the Moscow Film Festival. Thanks
again to Anjo,
So although, we still have
to apply and it will take some time and it is not certain
we will be granted, 2007 is off to a good start. If that
was not positive enough, Seal Alert-SA had promised to help
Chairperson Marianne Thieme of the Partj voor De Dieren in
the Netherlands win some seats, and true to her word, she
asked questions in Parliament about the Namibian seal
slaughter/cull (see below)
A
question from Marianne, again in Dutch. Our Dutch minister
of Agriculture says that only 2 species of seals are used
for their "products", all other species are protected. We
need proof that the Cape Fur Seals are also used for their
fur etc. so Marianne can come up with
evidence.
She had
a wonderful speech about the plight of the Cape Fur Seals.
She has sent me this. But unfortunately, again all in
Dutch. You can read it at this URL:
www.partijvoordedieren.nl/download/2ekamer/20070206PvdDzeehonden.pdf.
Cape Cross Namibian Baby
Slaughter fields
Then I received this, "First
reaction that came in after the item of Seal Alert was
broadcasted on national tv here in the Netherlands. Already
answered this woman, but I wanted you to know. Several
millions of Dutch have watched this, can't thank Edward
Snijders enough. This viewer forward us some pics, and
described in chilling detail, how she witnessed the truck
leaving with the dripping dead bloody baby seal carcases,
hidden under a canvas-top, depart the baby seal clubbing
fields in Namibia. After sweeping the bloodied killing
field/beach over to conceal the blood, and open the gate
for tourists to pay their money, to view Namibia's seal
wildlife splendour.
What the pic on the right proves,
is that the clubbing of these 8-month old baby nursing
seals, is not controlled or limited to just a particular
age. The blood holes should all ly in a straight gauntlet
type-line. This proves that sealers rounded up a group of
seals, cows, bulls, sub-adults, pups and babies (because
they are impossible to separate) - allowing none to
escape, (although the quota is only for pups), and clubbed
the entire group to death, in front of each other.
and we
have a new addition to our centre, a large bull, very weak
and thin, with a head injury that appears to have been
caused by a boat propeller. This is one of the reasons,
Seal Alert-SA conducts its research and rescue on
Jet-Ski's, thereby ensuring no seals get mistakenly
injured. Yet, Marine and Coastal Management bans jetski's
>from Marine Protected Areas but allows out-board motors
and un-protected propellers freely into these protected
wildlife areas.
I hope I have covered most things
happening. Will keep you informed, and will report back on
our meeting with MCM.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
27-21-790 8774