As Namibia's Corona lock down goes on, we continue with our seal patrols at Pelican Point. Lately we have seen more and more seals with deep cuts opposed to fresh entanglements. New entanglements are often superficial and can be easily removed, whereas older entanglements have already started to cut into the seals' flesh. We are not sure what the cause is. The total number of seals seems higher than usual at Pelican Point, we are speculating that seals from other areas have joined us and we are seeing them for the first time. As soon as our lock down allows, we will venture out to different colonies in Namibia to check the condition of our seals. 

We are VERY excited to be part of a research project currently scheduled for November 2020. The very established Namibian Dolphin Project (NDP) is hosting a seal study focusing on acoustics and the impact of plastic entanglements on seals. We will be coordinating the capture of entangled seals, and they will be fitted with tags for monitoring movement and rehabilitation. We have been lobbying for this for a long time, and we are grateful that we have an excellent relationship with the NDP. The data will hopefully be useful for changes in the fishing industry. 

Wild animals are unpredictable. It is important to be on the lookout, especially when dealing with an animal in distress, like entangled seals. They are already scared and see us as a threat, naturally they will fight for their lives.

Naude had been bitten a few times before, but last weekend, he needed stitches for the first time. During a rescue, the seal turned around and bit Naude in his left forearm. Antoine and Naude still managed to finish the rescue, but then they had to rush home to have the wound cleaned and stitched up (Naude's Tetanus and Rabies shots are up to date from other animal bites. But that's another story...). 

Naude took it easy and Antoine, Denzil and Jonathan did most of the rescue work for the week after. As of Monday, 17 August, Naude is fully operational again. We have considered additional protective clothing, but unfortunately we cannot predict which body part will be targeted next, we will just have to take our chances. It is a risk we are willing to take. 

Today's rescue went much better. The seal looked very aggressive, but in the end he decided to chill out with his rescuers. Here is the link.
 

THANK YOU for your ongoing support!

Naude & Katja & the OCN team