Virtually all businesses have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those responsible for animals. Social distancing regulations have forced places like animal shelters and zoos to adapt, balancing the safety of their human employees while also making sure the animals are cared for.
One wildlife sanctuary ran into a unique problem during the lockdown: with no human guests visiting, their seals started to get lonely. But they found one adorable solution to make everything better.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, near Cornwall, England, takes in sick and injured seals. They the care they need before releasing them back into their native habitats, while also providing a permanent home to seals that cannot return to the wild.
The sanctuary is open to visitors, providing revenue for their mission and giving them an opportunity to inspire and educate people about the seals.
And the seals love the company… so much so that when the sanctuary shut its doors during the coronavirus, the seals became noticeably lonely.
“With the Sanctuary having no guests walking around, our animals have definitely noticed the difference,” they wrote on Facebook. “So many of our animals are very people orientated.”
The staff has been doing everything they can to keep the seals happy and entertained, including playing classical music over the speakers. And yesterday, they decided to try one out-of-the-box idea that really made a big difference:
They brought in their dogs to meet the seals!
They brought the dogs in to “remind [the seals] of what it is like when the Sanctuary is open.”
It’s always fascinating to see animals from different worlds meet each other—they always look at each other with fascination from across the glass.
“The animals were very intrigued to see dogs again on site and enjoyed interacting with them!”
Both the dogs and the seals loved the experience. It gave the seals a much-needed spirit boost.
And the Cornish Seal Sanctuary hopes that the adorable photos will inspire people to support them financially. They have no guest revenue and plenty of seals to take care of, and are relying on donations.
“We are now entering our third month without guests, and need your support more than ever,” they wrote. “We are asking for support via donations towards our ‘Seal Appeal.'”
Dogs always cheer us up, and it’s so nice to see them being brought in to give some company to these lonely seals. Share this heartwarming story!