GSPCA is desperately seeking somewhere to care for seals
The GSPCA is urgently looking to find somewhere to care for Guernsey’s rescued seal pups, as its rebuild project looms.
The local charity will soon start knocking down its seal facilities at its St Andrew’s site to make way for a new wildlife hospital.
But there are still two seals in the local facility, and with around half a dozen rescued from both local and Jersey waters each year, another solution needs to be found quickly.
GSPCA manager Steve Byrne said parts of the old buildings had started to be removed with the demolition was set to start in the next month or two.
‘We have a kennels area where we can triage the seals, but what we need is a pool rehab area,’ he said.
‘We have got some potential temporary pools, which we can use on site.
‘That could be difficult with the building work, so we are looking at options for off-site.’
Mr Byrne said he had contacted the RSPCA nationally to see if that charity could help if seal pups needed care while the build takes place.
‘But the RSPCA is so busy with seals, they can’t cope with their own numbers.’
He said while the GSPCA had some options on the table for seal care, they were not easy and he hoped a better solution would emerge.
Guernsey is now at the end of the period when seals are likely to be rescued, but Mr Byrne said it was important that facilities were available if needed.
The rebuild is set to take 18 months to two years.
The two pups, which are currently in GSPCA’s care, will soon ready to be released back into the wild.
Roar was the first seal pup of this winter and was found near Castle Cornet in October. California Gurl was found off Fort Hommet in November.
‘Roar and California Gurl were rescued at the end of last year and are doing very well,’ said Geoff George, the GSPCA’s head of marine mammals.
He added that when the pups were found, they were severely underweight, dehydrated and full of infection.
Mr Byrne said he hoped they would be released soon.
‘We are hopeful for a quick turn around for Roar and California Gurl ahead of the new build, but we are reaching out to anyone who thinks they can help with certainly this and next year’s seal pup rehab,’ Mr Byrne said.
The GSPCA has returned 41 seals back to the wild in the last 12 years.
The rebuild is set to cost between £3.5m. and £4m. So far £1.4m. has been raised.
