16 NOV 05 FIRST BABY CAPE FUR SEAL RESCUED
The lady, who reported the pup to me was given the chance to name the pup, which has now been called - "Sky". Tube-fed, loved and bonded, "sky" has fallen into a deep trusting sleep, the fate of his life, from now on lay in our hands.
Substantially underweight, "sky" clearly has been without food for sometime, living off instead of his so young internal organs, with a high metabolism of normally every 4 hours, "sky" has still not produced a stool, once again confirming his need of rescue.
Dear All Seal Supporters,
Sky snuggling up to the wheel of his new Seal Supporters Jetski, as if he knows it was purchased for him - sound asleep, snoring.
Seal Alert-SA, asked for your help, and not only did you help, but your concern and love poured out for these animals. I don't truly think you all realise what you have done or how significant this is, but I can tell you, thousands of years from now Seals will still be talking about what you amazing people did.
I have some truly exciting and wonderful news to share with you all, but unfortunately it will have to wait a few days, until its all final. Its not about the campaign to Ban Guns in Fishing, its not about Robben Island, but it is about the pups - so, watch this space for further details.
Today I had a meeting with a very special lady (name withheld for now from a very special organization, withheld for now - until permission granted). Afterwards, we headed over to my Nelda, my wife, where we showed her our global maps and our DVD of our rescue of some seals. The next moment a local resident of Hout Bay approached me and said, are you the "sealman".
Fate - Can be really sad and cruel, but then it could also be wonderful and leaves one in true amazement, how the timing can at times just be so perfect.
Over the last week, we had two days of terribly high winds, our mooring for the raft broke and I knew, many, many pups were being washed off their tiny rock just off Hout Bay, and were being thrown into a cold and angry sea, with little chance of survival.
I was helpless to respond, both my vehicles were in the garage getting repaired and our new sponsored jetski was unable to launch. A few days later I spotted at least two jet-black little dead floating bodies, no more spirit, just lifeless forms, floating on the shoreward driven sea.
Pupping time had come earlier this year, and all haste with very limited funds, was frantically trying to develop a plan of effective rehabilitation and care for these pups, I needed one more week, but unfortunately for these pups, fate had other plans.
One of these new born, days old pup's had been washed away or had been abandoned by his mom. One will never known, perhaps even poachers operating at night had scared the seal herds, separating cow and pup forever.
But today, a local crayfish poacher, a person who over the years had assisted me rescue many a seal, found this tiny pup, wedged in the bottom of a rock crevice on the mainland opposite the island (Fate no.1).
Bleating and crying like a lamb, it is pure fate, other poachers did not find him and use him as live crayfish bait.
Returning these pups, has proved fruitless, as it is so overcrowded that once the cow separates from the pup, it leaves for good after a few hours, pups then just starve to death and re-come off the island, time and time again.
Instead this poacher with 4 poached crayfish in his bag, climbed a small mountain or hillside and headed to my house with this pup.
Arriving on the built up part on the otherside, walking down the street to find me, still in his wetsuit, due to his hurried attempt to get help, he was stopped by a police patrol van and arrested (Fate no. 2).
At the very moment another local resident drove past this arrest, and headed off to find me in the harbour.
As fate would have it, I had just returned from the town centre after my meeting and had just entered the harbour (Fate no.3).
Quickly she approached me, and we both headed off immediately to the pup. Poacher, pup, crayfish and police were still there, with the poacher busy being loaded into the police van. (Fate no.4).
I immediately recovered the crying pup, who was already one lucky little chap, clearly fate has other plans for him.
Unfairly the policeman enquired whether I am rewarding these poachers for rescuing these pups, yes I replied.
It is only right, and it serves to protect the species, as these are disadvantaged members of our community, whose lives are filled with drugs, crime and unemployment.
Suggesting that this poacher might have removed the pup, simply for the reward, annoyed me.
Because if he knew this poacher, he would have known how much he actually cares about the seals, and how he has walked with other pups and seals for miles to get help to them, never asking for any reward. How he has watched, keeping a protective guard over dying seals, without any reward.
It is therefore just something I do, because it is right, it helps the poachers and it saves the animal, from a terribly cruel fate.
He could have ignored it, like almost everybody else in Hout Bay has done for decades, he could have killed it and used it as bait, instead he saved it, and walked miles to get help to it.
Without much fuss the police let him go. It just saddens me that society is so quick to judge, when they themselves need to take a hard look at themselves, I truly feel sorry for this caring poacher, he did something right with regard to the seals, and instead of being commended, like I, he gets arrested.
To this poacher I align. (Fate no.5).
Stuck without vehicles until Friday, unable to launch to feed pup on the proposed offshore rock every 4 hours. Pup and I headed, for my garage, as a temporary arrangement.
Thanks to Professor Osthoff, Ernest Slabber of Dairy Bell and Hanzubeth Labuschagne, we have developed a special "Cape Fur Seal Pup Milk", which we all have been eager to test, due to all the previous problems related to other "seal milks".
The lady, who reported the pup to me was given the chance to name the pup, which has now been called - "Sky".
Tube-fed, loved and bonded, "sky" has fallen into a deep trusting sleep, the fate of his life, from now on lay in our hands.
Substantially underweight, "sky" clearly has been without food for sometime, living off instead of his so young internal organs, with a high metabolism of normally every 4 hours, "sky" has still not produced a stool, once again confirming his need of rescue.
Soon, you will know why "sky" is being kept for a few days in our garage and outside lawn.
For now he is safe, happy, content and his belly is full.
Between now and the next 12 months, this little bundle of fur, will cost me approximately R7000, and he will be worth every cent, to give him back his life.
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
Dear All,
Sadly, soon after writing the below email, I checked on Sky, and to my shock, she was dead.
Bruce my vet and I discussed this sad passing at length.
With pups so young, premature in this case, not knowing whether it even had any anti-bodies from its first mothers milk or was abandoned, can all lead to a passing. Its sudden passing without any struggle, when all appeared good, indicates an immediate shut-down of system, related to some or other possible virus, the cause unknown.
So I apologise once again to the Seals and to you all, I tried.
Rescue of this pups, is difficult to the extreme, but with each one, we develop and eliminate whats wrong and what works. Hold Thumbs - This is not easy
Not 30-minutes after Sky's passing, the phone rung, a wildlife film-maker is bringing in another baby pup from 200 km away. This pup clearly very weak, and clearly abandoned and it appears it has suffered some injury to its neck.
We expect arrival of this pup around 11pm.
Francois.
From: "SealAlertSA" sasealion@wam.co.za
To: "Garry"
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Subject: Re: Seal Milk - Sky
Hi Garry,
Yes, Sky does weigh 4kg.
So we seem to be right on the 600ml for the day.
Sky's stool's are back to yellow colour which is good, it appears the > greenish colour is from the multi-vitamins.
So I am feeling happier. Sky, looks very content, alert, sleeps alot and knows exactly what she wants.
Things are looking very positive.
Your milk, appears spot on, just what the "professor" ordered, thanks for this, I can see the difference between your milk and my old "milk' clearly.
So well done.
We must just be carefully, as I have seen we are never out of the dark until 2 months from now.
Thanks for assisting with this calculation, I was confused.
I have not heard from Ernest re powder.
Will send some more pics soon.
PS - Sky's seems very bloated, and a little uncomfortable, even with just 600ml.
But the good sign is, she is not biting, not needing to suckle at all which means she is super content.
Speak soon
Francois.
