Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart is a seal

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

rehabilitation and research centre in the village of Pieterburen

Pieterburen

The small village of Pieterburen is situated in the northern part of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Pieterburen is part of the municipality of De Marne.Pieterburen is situated on the ‘Hogeland’ of Groningen...

in the province of Groningen

Groningen (province)

Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...

, The Netherlands.

Lenie ‘t Hart has been rehabilitating sick and injured seals since the centre was founded in Pieterburen

Pieterburen

in 1971. The centre has evolved from a simple ‘crèche

Day care

Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...

’ for young seals to a scientific research-based seal hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

, with accompanying facilities such as quarantine

Quarantine

Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....

, a laboratory

Medical laboratory

A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are done on clinical specimens in order to get information about the health of a patient as pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.-Departments:...

, a chemist and modern research facilities. Hundreds of seals are cared for annually. The center rescues seals that have been injured by boats or fishing nets and those that have been sickened due to pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

. The center also rescues orphaned pups. All rehabilitated seals are released into the wild after their rehabilitation period, which lasts from several weeks to a maximum of six months. None of the animals remain in captivity and none of the seals are bred

Selective breeding

Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...

. The center also collects pieces of fishing nets that float in the sea and injure the animals. The center is open to visitors daily.

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