Seal Rescue Ireland

Seal Rescue Ireland is a conservation non-profit, headquartered in County Wexford, Ireland. According to the BBC, its main work includes "rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned and sick seals from across the country."[1][2]

History

Both common and grey seals are cared for by a team of volunteers at its seal visitor and rehabilitation centre in Courtown, County Wexford.[3][4][5] In 2019, it restored Courtown Woods.[6] In January 2020, it advocated for closing a beach in County Wicklow for nine months out of the year to protect a colony of seals.[7] In the same month, they noted that rare seals, usually found in the Arctic, were appearing off the coasts of Cork and Kerry and they reduced their first, and so far only, arctic ringed seal.[8][9] As of May 2020, its CEO was Melanie Croce and it had 1.2 million followers on TikTok.[10][11] In February 2021, it launched a marine conservation virtual learning tool in collaboration with SSE Renewables.[12] It began to collaborate with Orca Ireland and the NPWS, sharing their database of dead seals in order to attain a better understanding of the causes of seal deaths.[13]

Injured or orphaned seal pups in Seal Rescue Ireland's care are comforted by "fake mums" which are made from old wetsuits.[14] The "wetsuit mums" are designed to look and feel like adult seals. They are placed with the orphaned pups in the centre's intensive care unit.[14] Seal Rescue Ireland adopted the use of "Ecobricks," a building material consisting of plastic bottles which are tightly packed with soft plastics. The bricks have been used by to make furniture, such as stools. Seal Rescue Ireland hosts Marine Conservation Roadshows and school tours to educate schoolchildren on threats to seals and ways to reduce them.[15]

References
  1. "Ireland's inspiring seal sanctuary". BBC Travel. 3 December 2021.
  2. "Seal Rescue Ireland reopens to a very different world". independent. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  3. "Festive season is busiest time of year for Seal Rescue Centre". The Times. 22 December 2021.
  4. "A Chance to see the seals up close at rescue centre". Wexford People. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  5. Quinlan, Ronald. "Courtown Adventure & Leisure Centre sold for more than €1m". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  6. "Seal Rescue Ireland help restore Courtown Woods to former beauty". independent. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  7. "Close Wicklow beach nine months a year to protect seals, animal welfare charity says". independent. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  8. MacNamee, Garreth. "Seals usually found in the Arctic Ocean spotted in Cork and Kerry waters". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  9. "She's an Arctic Mystery". sealrescueireland.org. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  10. "Seal you soon! Work continues at sanctuary during the lockdown". independent. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  11. "Couple happy to be in the right place at the right time". Independent. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  12. "Seal Rescue Ireland helps create marine conservation virtual learning tool". Wexford People. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  13. Burke, Roisin (14 February 2021). "Public asked to report seal activity as eight wash up dead in East Cork". EchoLive.ie. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  14. "'Wetsuit mums' bring comfort to dozens of orphaned seal pups in Co Wexford". TheJournal.ie. Ireland. Press Association. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  15. Lewis, Amy (12 November 2018). "Seal Rescue Ireland's plan to turn the tide on plastic pollution". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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