Our Residents: Ronnie

We have many seals out at the sanctuary, both Greys and Commons. Each and every one is different and special in their own way. Of course everyone has their own personal favourites. The seal which I have to admit is my favourite is Ronnie. Although I feel I should emphasise the fact that I provide each seal with the same attention and care and we do have a policy of minimum interaction with humans for the sake of the seals.

Anyway...back to Ronnie. Ronnie arrived during the summer (about the same time as Mushroom-another one of our residents). Ronnie's arrival brought a smile to my face as, unlike most of the other seals, she was far from underweight and had an excellent appetite. Even at this early stage though we realised that Ronnie was a little bit 'different'. If one examines Ronnie closely one notices that her head appears quite different from that of the rest of the Common Seals. For a while we wondered what exactly was wrong with our new arrival.

Eventually, after much pondering, we noticed that it was Ronnie's eyes that were giving her trouble. We still don't know what exactly the problem is but we suspect that Ronnie is partially blind. Despite this Ronnie lives a very satisfying life. She has gained weight steadily, is very curious and interacts well with the other seals.

As seals use their whiskers in the water to locate their food, Ronnie's condition does not pose a significant problem and she will be released back into the wild just like her other friends here at the sanctuary. I will try my best over the coming days to add some photos of my little friend Ronnie. I'm sure you will find her just as delightful and endearing as I do.

Katie.