The crumb is back. Seal cub asked to live with people
Two seals - Kroshik and Pasha - were patients of the Center for the Study and Conservation of Marine Mammals in St. Petersburg. Rescuers tried to release animals on the island of Valaam into Lake Ladoga, but Kroshik refused to swim away from people and returned after 15 minutes of swimming.
The pinnipeds have been rehabilitated at the center, and now they must return to an independent life, Nevsky News writes.
Director of the Baltic Seal Foundation Vyacheslav Alekseev says that this is an exceptional case. Apparently, such a turn is even for the better, because Kroshik is too trusting.
According to him, Kroshik is the smallest seal in the world that has ever been rehabilitated with a person: he weighed only 4 kg. This is lower than they weigh at birth.
“Kroshik has been attached to a person for a very long time. Now there are glimmers of awareness of the “correct” behavior, so we decided to release it into Lake Ladoga this year. In general, initially we thought to release it only next year. It so happened because he spent little time with the female - two or three days in total. Therefore, he transferred his natural love of the cub to a person. At first, it was difficult for us to just move away from him - Kroshik required constant attention and time. Of course, we stroked him, held him in our arms. ”- says the director of the fund.
So that this baby, attached to a person, could more easily get used to the wild environment, the rescuers decided on this expedition to Valaam. It was hoped that in a place remote from people, he would begin to hunt on his own. The procedure will be repeated in autumn or next spring.
Kroshik is the first and only Ladoga seal, which is kept in captivity, and at the same time does not want to return to its native element under any circumstances. In the two years that the water puppy lives with people, he managed to become a real media star.
The smallest
The story of Kroshik, like other patients of the rehabilitation center, is tragic and happy at the same time. In March 2016, a fluffy baby was found near the village of Sviritsa, Volkhov District Leningrad region. The wind scattered the ice floes, a tiny pup was torn off from its mother. For several days he was on the ice, calling for help. The fishermen found the exhausted animal, and they reported the find to the rescuers.
“It was the smallest of all the pinniped puppies we have seen, hence its name,” says Head of the Pinnipeds Rehabilitation Center Vyacheslav Alekseev. - He weighed only 4 kilograms, despite the fact that these animals are born 4.5 kilograms. He immediately became attached to us, constantly asking for hands. During three months together with other puppies, he went through all the necessary medical procedures, grew up, got stronger, learned to fish on his own. But during the summer release to Ladoga, unlike the rest of his brothers, he just turned in the water, then returned and literally threw himself into our arms. This is the first time in 10 years that a seal has not gone free swimming.”
The whole next year, Kroshik was persistently weaned from a person. Minimized all contact with the "parents". They developed new reflexes - for example, they unceremoniously pushed him away with a mop if he demanded affection. Or they just made noise and disturbed to understand: a person is not only a friend. However, no one could say for sure what was on the mind of this late guest.
Kroshik chose a society of people for himself. Photo: SUE "Vodokanal"
The second issue was arranged a year later - in the summer of 2017. They brought a seal to Valaam, chose one of the deserted islands. At the decisive moment, the repeater rolled out of the cage and dived into the lake. Set sail. But soon, with a joyful splash, he reappeared next to the shore. And for a whole hour he kept in suspense zoologists, journalists, as well as the monks who had gathered on such an occasion - will he leave or not? At one point, Vyacheslav Alekseev already took a towel to catch a ward floundering in shallow water in order to take him back. But Kroshik waved his rear flippers, and was like that.
Return of the prodigal seal
The seal loves affection. Photo: SUE "Vodokanal"
Throughout the next month, news of approximately the same content came from different parts of Ladoga. “A friendly seal crawled up to the tourists on the beach and circled around for a long time.” “A pinniped was spotted in the area of the children's camp, it made the holidaymakers very happy.” And even - “A seal swam up to the fishing boat, cut circles around for a long time, asking to be on board. The guest was taken to the boat and fed with fish. After that, he slept and then ran away.”
“It was clear that this is our Kroshik,” explains veterinarian Elena Andrievskaya. - It was necessary to urgently take him back, otherwise such contacts could end badly. It is not clear who he will run into next. Moreover, the fishermen do not favor seals - they spoil their nets and eat the catch.
During the next meeting with the tourists who reported the seal to the police, Vyacheslav Alekseev went to the place. And soon Kroshik was happily sleeping in a quarantine box in Repino - the wanderings were over. During the month of his swimming, he lost only 1 kilogram, that is, he fished on his own, adapted to wild conditions. But from the person not weaned. He was bored alone.
Spins in place and raises the flipper
Now Kroshik lives in an outdoor pool in conditions as close to natural as possible. Cold water, a crust of ice, a cap of snow.
“He spends most of his time in the water,” the specialists of the center said, “it is warmer there than outside. Most often lies on the bottom, rising to the hole every 5-10 minutes to swallow air. He scratches the holes himself, or we help. It feeds on vendace, which is found in Lake Ladoga and is the basis of the diet of seals.
Now Kroshik lives in the pool. Photo: From the personal archive / Vyacheslav Alekseev
In any free moment, the center's employees try to look at the puppy, scratch its belly, cuddle, ride: the seal is just waiting for it. He also learned to raise his flipper on command, turn around his axis and bring his favorite toy - the ball. The task of such training is the constant development of the seal so that it does not turn into a lazy person who only eats, sleeps and basks on his side.
“We are not going to give Kroshik to the circus,” Vyacheslav explains. - Keeping seals in captivity is extremely difficult, almost impossible. Soon a new rescue season will begin in the Baltic and Ladoga, which promises to be difficult - there is little ice this year, female seals may have problems feeding their offspring. If Ladoga seal pups get to us, then we will try to place them together with Kroshik - let's see how they will interact. We hope that the older comrade will teach new patients the skills of adulthood.”
As for the future of Kroshik, then, experts say, in 2-3 years he will reach the age of puberty. And who knows - maybe he will get tired of being "small", the call of nature will wake up, and he will still want to return to his native element.
It is possible that someday seals will return to their native element. Photo:
Two years ago, the smallest pet in the history of the organization was brought to the Friends of the Baltic Seal Foundation. The kid managed to get out, then they tried to release him back to Ladoga. But the seal did not want to leave. A year later, Kroshik was again released into the lake, but this attempt also ended unsuccessfully. "360" tells how an unusual pet of zoologists lives.
Rescue Kroshik
Almost two years ago, on March 25, 2016, fishermen found a tiny seal on the banks of Ladoga near the village of Sviritsa in the Leningrad Region. The baby was taken away by volunteers of the Friends of the Baltic Seal Foundation. As it turned out, the cub became the smallest patient in the history of the organization.
Kroshik, as the small Ladoga ringed seal was later called, had badly worn flippers. He was emaciated, dehydrated and weighed only four kilograms - less than a newborn seal. Every three hours he had to be fed with a solution of minced fish and medicines, said Elena Andrievskaya, an employee of the foundation. Even then, zoologists noticed that the new pet is not at all afraid of people.
First return
At the end of August, zoologists decided to return Kroshik, who had grown stronger and completed a course of rehabilitation, back to Ladoga. Together with him, the second inhabitant of the center, the seal Pasha, went free. Unlike him, Kroshik sailed only 100 meters from the shore, and after 15 minutes he returned to the volunteers.
“I got out on the shore, cheerfully spanked into a group of people and pretended that he had not gone anywhere and was not going to leave. Being raised on his hands, he clung to these very hands, showing how much he appreciates simple human warmth and care," the zoologists explained.
As a result, the pinniped sly remained to spend the winter in the center. Zoologists made every effort to ensure that the seal weaned from people, the seal was taught to get food on its own. He was given the skills he needed to survive in wild nature. Volunteers already had experience: before Kroshik, the seal Malyshka Inger wintered in the center. She was later successfully released into the lake.
Second return
On May 22, 2017, Kroshik was solemnly released into Lake Ladoga for the second time. And in mid-June, fishermen filmed it on a smartphone camera. This worried zoologists.
“We are afraid of the psychological state of Kroshik - the animal continues to look for meetings with a person, which can play a cruel joke with him. Unfortunately, not all people are friendly towards animals,” said Vyacheslav Alekseev, director of the fund.
And four weeks after parting, Kroshik returned to the center. Despite the ability to get food, the seal could not adapt to life in the wild and still looked for meetings with people.
How does Kroshik live?
The life of a seal is very eventful. To diversify the seal's leisure time, experts began to teach him training skills.
In addition to frequent training, he helps his guardians. For example, he participates in the preparation of Ladoga vendace for the winter and controls the quality of the fish.
“The fish caught, as always, with great adventures, we bring to ourselves, washed, packaged in bags and frozen. At the same time, Kroshik controls the quality of our work and takes samples from different places of the batch. By the end of the day, our assistant gets so tired that he falls asleep right at the workplace, ”the volunteers wrote in“ In contact with ».
TO new year holidays Kroshik has grown a luxurious "diamond" mustache.
Nerpen Kroshik, who took root in the St. Petersburg seal rescue center in Repino, pleased many fans with festive mustache options on New Year's holidays.
The Kroshik seal was moved to a warm pool and he decided that spring had begun and began to molt
Two years ago, they found a very small cub and went out to Rehabilitation center for pinnipeds in the Leningrad region. When it was decided to release Kroshik into the wild in Lake Ladoga, he soon returned back to the people. Subsequent attempts were also unsuccessful.
Now Kroshik constantly lives in the Center and news about him regularly touches the inhabitants of St. Petersburg and the entire Runet. And it's not just about the cute name and its history, Kroshek is a really adorable seal, he looks like a very round and soft plush ottoman and behaves accordingly.
Usually Kroshik lives in an outdoor pool, but recently after the frosty days it was decided to move Kroshik inside to a warm pool.
Nerpa Kroshik perceived his relocation to greenhouse conditions as the beginning of spring, he decided that April had already come and therefore began to molt. A month ahead of schedule. Maybe he did it on purpose, so that he would not be kicked out into the street again.
“In general, our little lazybones has been lying on the shelf for a week, belly up, does not eat, does not swim, and gladly allows us to help him scratch his thick sides and beautiful belly,” they write in the group of the Pinnipeds Rehabilitation Center in contact, “Looks he himself is now like a dusty fur toy that has lain in the attic for several years, and in his dwelling all surfaces are covered with pieces of peeling skin.
Kroshik definitely does not want to go back to the cold and waits until the real spring warmth comes.
The home for the Ladoga seal is a pinnipeds rehabilitation center in Repino, the parents are zoologist Vyacheslav Alekseev and veterinarian Elena Andrievskaya.
Kroshik did not want to live in freedom and returned to the people.
Kroshik is the first and only Ladoga seal, which is kept in captivity, and at the same time does not want to return to its native element under any circumstances. In the two years that the water puppy lives with people, he managed to become a real media star.
The smallest
The story of Kroshik, like other patients of the rehabilitation center, is tragic and happy at the same time. In March 2016, a fluffy baby was found near the village of Sviritsa, Volkhov district, Leningrad region. The wind scattered the ice floes, a tiny pup was torn off from its mother. For several days he was on the ice, calling for help. The fishermen found the exhausted animal, and they reported the find to the rescuers.
“It was the smallest of all the pinniped puppies we have seen, hence its name,” says Head of the Pinnipeds Rehabilitation Center Vyacheslav Alekseev. - He weighed only 4 kilograms, despite the fact that these animals are born 4.5 kilograms. He immediately became attached to us, constantly asking for his arms. Within three months, together with other puppies, he went through all the necessary medical procedures, grew up, got stronger, learned to fish on his own. But during the summer release to Ladoga, unlike the rest of his brothers, he just turned in the water, then returned and literally threw himself into our arms. This is the first time in 10 years that a seal has not gone free swimming.”
The whole next year, Kroshik was persistently weaned from a person. Minimized all contact with the "parents". They developed new reflexes - for example, unceremoniously pushed away with a mop if he demanded affection. Or they just made noise and disturbed me to understand: a person is not only a friend. However, what was on the mind of this late guest, no one could say for sure.
Kroshik chose a society of people for himself. Photo: SUE "Vodokanal"
The second issue was arranged a year later - in the summer of 2017. They brought a seal to Valaam, chose one of the deserted islands. At the decisive moment, the repeater rolled out of the cage and dived into the lake. Set sail. But soon, with a joyful splash, he reappeared next to the shore. And for a whole hour he kept in suspense zoologists, journalists, as well as the monks who had gathered on such an occasion - will he leave or not? At one point, Vyacheslav Alekseev already took a towel to catch a ward floundering in shallow water in order to take him back. But Kroshik waved his rear flippers, and was like that.
Return of the prodigal seal
The seal loves affection. Photo: SUE "Vodokanal"
Throughout the next month, news of approximately the same content came from different parts of Ladoga. “A friendly seal crawled up to the tourists on the beach and circled around for a long time.” “A pinniped was spotted in the area of the children's camp, it made the holidaymakers very happy.” And even - “A seal swam up to the fishing boat, cut circles around for a long time, asking to be on board. The guest was taken to the boat and fed with fish. After that, he slept and then ran away.”
“It was clear that this was our Kroshik,” explains veterinarian Elena Andrievskaya. - It was necessary to urgently take him back, otherwise such contacts could end badly. It is not clear who he will run into next. Moreover, the fishermen do not favor seals - they spoil their nets and eat the catch.
During the next meeting with the tourists who reported the seal to the police, Vyacheslav Alekseev went to the place. And soon Kroshik was sleeping happily in a quarantine box in Repino - the wanderings were over. During the month of his voyages, he lost only 1 kilogram, that is, he fished on his own, adapted to wild conditions. But from the person not weaned. He was bored alone.
Spins in place and raises the flipper
Now Kroshik lives in an outdoor pool in conditions as close to natural as possible. Cold water, a crust of ice, a cap of snow.
“He spends most of his time in the water,” said the center’s specialists, “it’s warmer there than outside. Most often lies on the bottom, rising to the hole every 5-10 minutes to swallow air. He scratches the holes himself, or we help. It feeds on vendace, which is found in Lake Ladoga and is the basis of the diet of seals.
Now Kroshik lives in the pool. Photo: From the personal archive / Vyacheslav Alekseev
In any free moment, the center's employees try to look at the puppy, scratch its belly, cuddle, ride: the seal is just waiting for it. He also learned to raise his flipper on command, turn around his axis and bring his favorite toy - the ball. The task of such training is the constant development of the seal so that it does not turn into a lazy person who only eats, sleeps and basks on his side.
“We are not going to give Kroshik to the circus,” Vyacheslav explains. – Keeping seals in captivity is extremely difficult, almost impossible. Soon a new rescue season will begin in the Baltic and Ladoga, which promises to be difficult - there is little ice this year, female seals may have problems feeding their offspring. If the pups of the Ladoga seal come to us, then we will try to place them together with Kroshik - let's see how they will interact. We hope that the older comrade will teach new patients the skills of adulthood.”
As for the future of Kroshik, then, experts say, in 2-3 years he will reach the age of puberty. And who knows - maybe he will get tired of being "small", the call of nature will wake up, and he will still want to return to his native element.
It is possible that someday seals will return to their native element.
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