They are called Howlers because they lost contact with their mother. This year there are a particularly large number of orphaned seal pups – and the birthing phase is not over yet.
Norddeich/Friedrichskoog – Disturbances by water sports enthusiasts and vacationers in the Wadden Sea have caused more orphaned seal pups to be found on the Lower Saxony North Sea coast in recent weeks than has been the case for a long time.
“There are many howlers this year,” said the head of the Norddeicher seal station, Peter Lienau. The seal pups that lose contact with their mother are called howlers. The birth phase is not over yet, but by the beginning of July, 183 howlers had already come into the care of the station. Before the corona pandemic, there were a total of 181 in 2019.
Meanwhile, the second seal station in Friedrichskoog in Schleswig-Holstein reported a not unusually high number of finds this summer. In this, the larger station, 171 young seals are currently being cared for (as of July 13). The animals stay at the station for an average of ten to twelve weeks until they have gained enough weight and are strong and fit enough to be released into the wild. At the beginning the howlers are fed with a special salmon emulsion. Then they learn step by step how to eat fish independently.
After reports of finds, the animals are taken to stations
The busiest time of the year is now upon us for the voluntary seal rescuers, also known as mudflat hunting wardens or seal hunters. After finding reports, they bring the animals to the stations.
The Norddeicher facility attributes the many finds to more disturbances as a result of increased tourism in the Wadden Sea. The development of the past Corona years, in which tourism was partly restricted due to lockdowns, is reversed, said Lienau. In the past two Corona years, the number of animals taken in had dropped significantly to 133 (2020) and 116 (2021).
Most of the guests who come to the North Sea are sensitized to the protection of seals, said Lienau. “But with many visitors to the coast, the number of exceptions is also increasing.” dpa
