Ocean activist saves 1,000 seals off Britain - and even built them a hospital
SWNS
2023-10-24
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An ocean activist has helped save the lives of 1,000 seals off the coast of Britain - and has even built them a hospital.
Lizzi Larbalestier is a champion for marine animal protection, rescuing seals, dolphins, turtles and sea birds near her home in Cornwall.
She has even closely supported a wandering walrus.
The volunteer for ‘British Divers Marine Life Rescue’ spent nine months caring for injured seals in her Airbnb, but now she and other volunteers have built a fully functioning seal hospital from the ground up in Cornwall.
This week, Lizzi received a prestigious Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), presented at BAFTA, London, to celebrate her pioneering work.
She said: "The new hospital is run by BDMLR volunteers, of which my husband and I are two.
“The new seal hospital is in it’s third season and we expect around 100 seals to come through here for initial rehabilitation each year.
"The pup season prior to the new hospital being built, we had the seals at our home and I did my day job around helping with animal care.
“During that season my husband and I were joined at our home seal hospital by a small team of dedicated volunteers and we had exceptional vet support from Dr Natalie Arrow.
"We were only just post-covid lockdowns, and so fewer of us could be involved than we have these days at the new facility.
“It was a particularly busy year, with 139 seals coming through our rehabilitation process, plus we were responding to seal callouts for pups on the beaches that needed our help, but did not need to be brought into the hospital."
Lizzie is also a volunteer Regional Rep at Surfers Against Sewage and a founder of the net recovery team Ghostnetbuster as well as a lead medic at the seal hospital.
Lizzi put her work as an Award Winning Blue Health Coach mainly on hold to offer BDLMR four months free project management to get the facility built, and even got involved in labouring on site.
The new facility has ten pens - whilst the pair’s home facility had six, and on one occasion seven.
Lizzi emphasises the day to day work is shared by all of their team, and each volunteer is ‘crucial’ to BDMLR’s marine conservation efforts.
She explains: "The pups get rescued by any one of us volunteer medics and, if necessary, get brought into the hospital where a vet will check them over and create a treatment plan.
"We have clear protocols to ensure pups get the very best care, it is a real team effort.”
"We offer critical care for these animals post rescue, from maintaining a hygienic environment to providing hydration and nutrition, medication and wound treatment.
"This stabilises the pups and prepares them to move to larger rehabilitation centres. We can have pups up to three weeks."
After the hospital treatment, the pups in Cornwall are transferred to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary or West Hatch RSPCA facility, prior to their release out into the wild.
Lizzi Larbalestier is a champion for marine animal protection, rescuing seals, dolphins, turtles and sea birds near her home in Cornwall.
She has even closely supported a wandering walrus.
The volunteer for ‘British Divers Marine Life Rescue’ spent nine months caring for injured seals in her Airbnb, but now she and other volunteers have built a fully functioning seal hospital from the ground up in Cornwall.
This week, Lizzi received a prestigious Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), presented at BAFTA, London, to celebrate her pioneering work.
She said: "The new hospital is run by BDMLR volunteers, of which my husband and I are two.
“The new seal hospital is in it’s third season and we expect around 100 seals to come through here for initial rehabilitation each year.
"The pup season prior to the new hospital being built, we had the seals at our home and I did my day job around helping with animal care.
“During that season my husband and I were joined at our home seal hospital by a small team of dedicated volunteers and we had exceptional vet support from Dr Natalie Arrow.
"We were only just post-covid lockdowns, and so fewer of us could be involved than we have these days at the new facility.
“It was a particularly busy year, with 139 seals coming through our rehabilitation process, plus we were responding to seal callouts for pups on the beaches that needed our help, but did not need to be brought into the hospital."
Lizzie is also a volunteer Regional Rep at Surfers Against Sewage and a founder of the net recovery team Ghostnetbuster as well as a lead medic at the seal hospital.
Lizzi put her work as an Award Winning Blue Health Coach mainly on hold to offer BDLMR four months free project management to get the facility built, and even got involved in labouring on site.
The new facility has ten pens - whilst the pair’s home facility had six, and on one occasion seven.
Lizzi emphasises the day to day work is shared by all of their team, and each volunteer is ‘crucial’ to BDMLR’s marine conservation efforts.
She explains: "The pups get rescued by any one of us volunteer medics and, if necessary, get brought into the hospital where a vet will check them over and create a treatment plan.
"We have clear protocols to ensure pups get the very best care, it is a real team effort.”
"We offer critical care for these animals post rescue, from maintaining a hygienic environment to providing hydration and nutrition, medication and wound treatment.
"This stabilises the pups and prepares them to move to larger rehabilitation centres. We can have pups up to three weeks."
After the hospital treatment, the pups in Cornwall are transferred to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary or West Hatch RSPCA facility, prior to their release out into the wild.
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