Seal rescued in Frinton recovering at wildlife hospital

Derek, the six-week old pup, was discovered dehydrated and underweight before being taken in by South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Orsett.

Sue Schwar, who founded and runs the hospital, said: “As soon as he arrived, Derek was checked and treated before we then gave him rehydration fluids via a stomach tube as he was so dehydrated.

“Over the coming days we will monitor him and keep him on dry land while he learns to catch his own food.”

Once a seal puppy loses its initial white coat, the mother expects it to go straight into the water in order to catch its own fish for food.

Teaching Derek this skill will take time, Sue explained.

Read more: Family spot seal in River Colne

She said: “We have all the seals in a stable with a large water tray. Here Derek has already begun to feed himself when offered whole fish.

“Then the seals go into a small pool so they get used to the water and finding their own food within.

Hungry - Derek takes on his intravenous food after being found dehydrated and underweight

“The third stage entails them having to locate their food in our larger water pool so they have the skills to survive and feed themselves upon their return to the sea.”

It has been a very busy time for the wildlife hospital, having six seals in their care just before Christmas including Garlic who swam all the way from Scotland before ending up in Southend.

Read more: Seal spotted on Harwich beach

The main seal rescue centres in the area are full and numbers keep rising, so the hospital is seeking to raise more funds to help accommodate the animals being brought in.

Sue added: “We need to get some proper water pools sorted and to do this we must refurbish and repurpose some of the other animal accommodation to provide for the seals.

Ouch - Derek the seal with vet Tom inspecting his bite wounds

“This is not an easy job and the costs are increasing.

“Each seal will eat several kilograms of Herring and mackerel fish a day, costing about £300 a week for the numbers we currently have – or £50 per seal.

“Derek is now feeding himself and we are really pleased with his progress.

“We are always grateful to our supporters for their donations and every little offering helps us to treat the seals like Derek.”

To support South Essex Wildlife Hospital, there is a fundraising page which can be found here and an Amazon wishlist at www.Amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1K2NGRWZUD337?ref_=wl_share

To keep up with Derek’s recovery, keep an eye on the hospital’s Facebook page.