Skegness Magazine

BABYSITTING has taken on a new meaning at Natureland, Skegness.

For the marine zoo’s bosses are determined to keep a round-the-clock watch on their valuable baby — the seal born to Fred and Twinny last week.

The bosses take it in turns to stay at the zoo all night – but manage to snatch a little sleep on a camp bed installed in the office, in between regular checks on mother and baby.

Mr Tony Cumberworth, Natureland’s manager, explained the babysitting would continue until the tiny seal was strong enough to escape the clutches of intruders and stay in the pool out of harm’s way.

Orphans

But Natureland’s self-styled night watchmen may have to remain at their task a little longer. For Titch, another member of Fred’s harem, is also thought to be pregnant.

Natureland’s baby is only the second harbour seal (also known as the common seal) to be born in captivity in this country. And the cub — a female weighing 171b at birth — is the marine zoo’s first.

Fred and Twinny, both aged 13, were orphans washed up on Skegness beach. And they owe their survival to Natureland’s pioneer life saving technique, now widely accepted throughout the zoo world as being the only successful way to rear orphan seals.

Mr Cumberworth said baby seals were normally dependent on their mothers’ milk for about five weeks.

But force-feeding milk to han seals had not work – so Natureland decided to forget all that was known about rearing seals – and tried their own method.

The orphans were force-fed tiny sprats — although in their natural habitat they would not be introduced to solid food so early. And it worked. Fred and Twinny were the first to be fed in that way.

In the wild, a bull seal normally fights off other bulls to protect his harem. Until a couple of years ago, Fred had competition for the harem in the shape of another bull, Sammy.

But Sammy died after swallowing a nylon stocking thrown into the seal pool. That tragedy left the harem to Fred.

Mating usually takes place in the summer, a couple of weeks after the birth of a baby seal, said Mr Cumberworth. But fertilisation occurs later and a mother seal has a pregnancy of nine months.

Although it took Fred 12 years to become a dad he has been a star attraction at Natureland with his tricks.

The tricks, Mr Cumberworth explained, were just an extension of his natural characteristics. Twinny — although she has never seen mother seals with their offspring —has turned out to be a typical protective seal mother. If her cub decides to leave the safety of the pool’s “beach” for a dip, she’s always close at hand to make sure all is well.

Although Twinny seems to have excluded the other seals from the beach, Fred just couldn’t resist saying hello to his lovely daughter.

The proud dad slapped and splashed the water until she joined him — and then took her for a swim.

No name

Although the little seal has just about everything it could wish for, there’s one thing missing — a name.

And Mr John Yeadon, Natureland’s co-director, would like to hear the suggestions of Skegness youngsters.

He is offering a season ticket for the youngster who picks the best name. Names should be written on a postcard and addressed to Mr Yeadon or Mr Cumberworth at Natureland — and don’t forget to put your name on the postcard, too.

Mr Tony Cumberworth taking his turn at babysitting — the watch is carried out on other nights by Mr John Yeadon and Mr Alan Dales.

Source: Skegness Standard 6th July 1979

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