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Kom werken bij het Zeehondencentrum

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Wij zijn op zoek naar een Allround medewerker Technische Dienst en een Manager Marketing, Communicatie en Sales. Heb jij de passie en drive om ons team te komen versterken?

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Wij zijn Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen: hét zeehondenziekenhuis van Europa.  Maar we doen veel meer dan zeehonden opvangen en verzorgen. Meer en meer verleggen wij onze focus naar de toekomst van het Waddengebied waarin mens en natuur met elkaar in balans zijn, waarbij we veel verder kijken dan het individuele dier. Wij maken mensen bewust en werken aan een betere relatie tussen mens en natuur, specifiek voor het Waddengebied. De zeehond is daarin een belangrijke graadmeter. Daarom zijn we initiatiefnemer van Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee: een nieuwe plek om de Wadden mee te maken, in de haven van Lauwersoog. Hier werken we aan een gezonde balans tussen mens en natuur, voor de wereld van morgen. Met de handen uit de mouwen. En met het UNESCO Werelderfgoed de Waddenzee als inspiratie.

Allround medewerker Technische Dienst
Als Allround medewerker Technische Dienst ben je samen met je collega’s verantwoordelijk voor de onderhoud van verschillende technische installaties. Onder andere de waterzuiveringsinstallaties van de baden van de zeehonden.

Manager Marketing, Communicatie en Sales
Als Manager Marketing, Communicatie en Sales ben je verantwoordelijk voor het Marketing en communicatie team van het Zeehondencentrum. In nauwe samenwerking met het managementteam, waar jij zelf ook onderdeel van bent, ben jij de drijvende kracht achter het ontwikkelen van onze resultaatgerichte marketing- en communicatiestrategie. En help je mee met de transitie naar het WEC.

Ben je enthousiast geworden over een van deze functies? Bekijk dan onze vacaturepagina voor meer informatie.

Vacancies


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Weekend van de Wetenschap 7 & 8 oktober

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In het weekend van 7 & 8 oktober is het weekend van de wetenschap. Ook het Zeehondencentrum doet dit jaar weer mee. Dit jaar met het onderwerp: hoe kijk je als je niets kunt zien? We gaan het hebben over de zintuigen van de zeehond. Om precies te zijn: de snorharen.

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Als wij iets willen vinden, gebruiken we meestal onze ogen en handen. Zeehonden moeten het onder water heel anders doen. Met hun snorharen kunnen ze de kleinste trillingen in het water opvangen en voelen waar vissen zwemmen. Zelfs als de vis al bijna 200 meter verderop is, kan de zeehond de achtergebleven trillingen nog voelen! Tijdens Weekend van de Wetenschap kun je in het Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen ervaren hoe een zeehond dat doet. Kom langs om snorharen te voelen, van dichtbij te zien hoe ze werken, en om de wetenschappers te ontmoeten die hier onderzoek naar doen. Deze activiteiten zijn gratis inbegrepen bij het kopen van een ticket voor je bezoek aan ons.

Datum en tijd

Zaterdag 7 oktober 2023
10:00-17:00

Zondag 8 oktober 2023
10:00-17:00


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Bas Wemmenhove onze nieuwe directeur

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Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen benoemt Bas Wemmenhove per 28 augustus als operationeel directeur
Bas wordt verantwoordelijk voor de dagelijkse aansturing van het Zeehondencentrum in Pieterburen: Hij gaat in Pieterburen de komende twee jaar organisatorisch en inhoudelijk aan de slag om de dagelijkse operatie klaar te stomen voor een nieuwe toekomst in Lauwersoog. Hij ondersteunt Directeur-Bestuurder Niek Kuizenga, die gaandeweg steeds meer tijd en aandacht nodig heeft voor de realisatie van het Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee en het smeden van nieuwe samenwerkingsverbanden.   

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Bas: “Ik vind het een enorme eer om de dagelijkse aansturing van het Zeehondencentrum in Pieterburen, en later in Lauwersoog, op me te nemen. Vanaf jonge leeftijd heb ik een enorme affiniteit met de natuur. De transitie naar één Werelderfgoedcentrum is prachtig en uitdagend tegelijk. Het biedt de kans om verder te bouwen aan een stevig fundament waarin natuur en mens centraal staan. Ik kijk er naar uit om mijn collega’s te ondersteunen en faciliteren in het uitvoeren van hun dagelijkse werkzaamheden.”

Niek: “Bas is een zeer ervaren people-manager, die onze passie voor de zeehond en het Unesco Werelderfgoed Waddenzee met ons deelt. Hij wordt gedreven door de wens om “ons” verhaal uit te dragen en daarmee bij te dragen aan een wereld waarin natuur en mens met elkaar in balans zijn. Bas is een bezielde én zakelijke persoonlijkheid. Iemand die onze missie en visie uitdraagt en medewerkers hierin meeneemt”  

Sealcentre Pieterburen

Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen is opgericht 1971. In 2025 staat er een verhuizing gepland naar Lauwersoog. De komende twee jaar realiseren we vanuit Pieterburen dé plek om te leren over, werken aan en bij te dragen aan duurzaamheid, klimaatverandering en biodiversiteit. Met als uitgangspunt, verhalenverteller en (klimaat) icoon: de zeehond. Slechts één stukje van een veel groter geheel. Het is onze overtuiging dat gezonde zeehonden en een gezonde zee onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden zijn. In ons centrum bestuderen onderzoekers wat we van dit principe kunnen leren. Voor de zeehond, voor onze zee én voor onze eigen gezondheid.


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Zoo en Wildlife health conference 2023

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From June 7-10, Matilde Trambajolo (vet intern) and Anna Salazar Casals (vet) attended the Zoo and Wildlife Health conference 2023, which took place in Valencia.

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  • presentation Mathilde zoo and wildlife health conference

  • presentation Mathilde zoo and wildlife health conference

As the organisers mentioned: "This conference provides a unique platform for members of the veterinary community, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists from all over the world, to come together, discuss, and exchange knowledge on various issues, including the latest advancements in research and best practices in wildlife conservation, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare. As we continue to confront a rapidly changing world of emerging diseases, habitat loss, and climate change, the work of zoo and wildlife veterinarians is more important than ever. Our profession plays a crucial role in both the conservation of endangered species and the protection and well-being of the animals under our care. Our commitment, expertise, and insights are invaluable resources for the broader scientific community, policymakers, and the public."

The conference was very interesting, the content very nice and informative, and the people very nice and willing to learn and collaborate.

Matilde presented a project she did for her master thesis at Barcelona Zoo. This project looked at antibiotic resistances within the zoo. She looked at different samples from different animals and checked for antimicrobial resistance. Matilde presented her results and answered all the questions asked by the public in a calm and professional way. She was confident in herself and presented very well. This is the summary of her presentation:

"The potential for emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in zoo settings poses a challenge to the adequate treatment of individuals and a potential threat to public health. This retrospective study aimed to characterize AR in mammals kept at Barcelona Zoo between 2016-2021. Bacterial cultures (n=1026) were recovered from clinical records, of which 29% were positive with available antibiograms (n=298). Of these, 238 antibiograms were selected according to a “first-bacterial-genus-per-isolate-per-patient” methodology, mostly from Bovidae (n=63), Delphinidae (n=41) and Hominidae (n=32). AR was assessed including yearly multidrug resistance (MDR) occurrence (i.e., bacteria resistant to three or more antibiotic classes)a, generation of a cumulative antibiogram (CA) (i.e., susceptibility rate of the ten most isolated bacteria to the ten most used antibiotics)b,c, and non susceptibility trends for selected pathogens. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia spp. (n=78), Pseudomonas spp. (n=44) and Staphylococcus spp. (n=42). Yearly MDR rates oscillated between 28% (9/32 isolates, 2018) and 72% (13/18, 2016; 20/28, 2019), without evolution identified. The CA revealed low susceptibility rates of most Gram-negative bacteria to ampicillin (0-70%; x̄=15%) and cefalexin (13-81%; x̄=35%). Likewise, Pseudomonas spp. presented low susceptibility rates to numerous antibiotics (0-86%; x̄=43%). Annual non-susceptibility rates significantly decreased for Escherichia but increased for Pseudomonas and Enterococcaceae (p<0.05). Overall, AR was demonstrated for bacterial isolates at Barcelona Zoo, underscoring the need for a rational use of antibiotics. Furthermore, this study highlights how CA can serve as a guide to empirical prescriptions when cautiously elaborated and interpreted."

Anna presented the results of the article published in August 2022 about seal entanglements. The public was very happy with the content of the talk and were surprised with the results Anna showed. This is the summary of Anna's presentation: "In recent decades, the amount of marine debris in our oceans has increased, leading to more interactions between debris and animals. Increased interactions consequently lead to more entanglements, modifying an animal’s normal behaviour and potentially affecting its survival. The current study collected information on two phocid species, harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), that were affected by marine debris over 11 years (2010-2020), along the Dutch coast (n=145). The data includes strandings and sightings of live and dead animals reported to one of the three Dutch seal rehabilitation centres. The results of our study show that: (i) the number of entangled seals has quadrupled over the study period, (ii) 67% of the entangled animals were juveniles, (iii) the number of entangled grey seals was more than 4 times higher than that of harbour seals, whereas harbour seals were more likely to ingest debris, and (iv) 88% of the debris causing entanglements came from the fishing/boating industry. The species differences we found can be explained by differences in their behaviour, their foraging strategies, and their habitat preferences. There was no consensus when reporting lesions or entangling material, hence no further analysis was possible. Future research in this field will enormously benefit from standardizing data collection and for this purpose we present a new detailed stranding form. Despite increased public awareness about the adverse environmental effects of marine debris, more initiatives and policies are needed to ensure the protection of the marine environment in the Netherlands."

Thanks to this conference, both Matilde and Anna have managed to connect with many veterinarians van around the world and spread the word about the work done by and at Sealcentre Pieterburen. Furthermore, several veterinary students from many European Universities attended this conference and were interested in our educational programs, both in the veterinary and sealcare departments.


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SEALCENTRE SOUNDS ALARM OVER HARASSED PUPS

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From selfies to throwing stones, seal pups find nowhere to rest

Sealcentre Pieterburen has experienced far too many cases of disturbed seal pups in the past two weeks. In the past few weeks, 33 seal pups have been taken care of at seal centre Pieterburen. Of these, 10, a third of all cases, arguably ended up at the centre due to actions by the public. The centre stresses again that due to the Seal Agreement signed in 2020, this is strictly forbidden.

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The Sealcentre Pieterburen is sounding the alarm over the large number of disturbed seal pups it has had to take in so far. The centre has taken in 33 pups in a short period of time this season, of which as many as 10 cases, actions by bystanders were the direct reason for taking in. In comparison, 2022 saw 19 animals rehabilitated respectively, 3 of them due to disturbance. Probably this year, the warm weather played a part in the fact that there were more people on the beaches, but their behaviour of some people around seals left a lot to be desired. This ranges from taking selfies, petting seals, letting pets get close, to even throwing stones at the animals. This disturbance causes the mother not to return, leaving the helpless pup alone. Left unattended, it is likely to die.

"From an animal welfare perspective, the Sealcentre Pieterburen finds this particularly harmful"

Niek Kuizenga.

Danger to humans and animals

Moreover, touching seals, even small pups, is actually not without danger. They are the largest predators in the Netherlands. Seals have a powerful bite that can lead to severe inflammation in humans. A seal bite has to be treated with special antibiotics. In two cases, pups were placed in the arms of children for a photo. A big risk for both humans and animals.

Seal Agreement

On 4 June 2020, the Seal Agreement was signed and became effective. This agreement aims to prevent the rehabilitation of seals by increasing the use of observation and relocation. For example, it is common for pups to spend hours alone when the mother is out hunting. This has also emerged from previous behavioural research on seals (mothers) in the Dollard. Pups sometimes lie alone for up to 8 hours, with no ill effects. So a pup lying alone is not always in distress and should be left alone. Finally, the agreement also states that for the animal's safety, as well as that of humans, it is forbidden to take action on their own. Only certified seal guards are allowed to do so and are in close contact with the centre in whose area they operate. It is up to the rehabilitation centres to decide whether a seal should be taken in or not.

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Bouw update WEC

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De bouw van het Werelderfgoedcentrum in Lauwersoog is in volle gang. Op dit moment wordt er hard gewerkt aan de fundering van het gebouw. Een onderdeel daarvan is het gieten van beton. Voor zo’n groot gebouw is daar een hoop voor nodig. Gister was er zelfs een file aan betonvrachtwagens om het af te leveren. Bekijk hier de timelapse van de voortgang van afgelopen weken: http://timelapsebot.netcamviewer.nl/download/NCVTimelapser_CID_1437_PID_image_PSN_image_2023-06-01_06-18-37-1686142474.mp4 

Wil je de werkzaamheden van het Werelderfgoedcentrum op de voet volgen? Dit kan via de BouwApp!

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Sealcentre Pieterburen rehabilitates first pup of the summer

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Sealcentre Pieterburen has taken in the first common seal pup of this summer. The animal had been found by bystanders. They saw no mother around and thought it needed help. The Sealcentre would like to remind everyone that it is forbidden to touch seals except for trained seal guards. This is the only way operational seal centres can pursue the policy according to the Seal Agreement.

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On Friday afternoon 19 May, bystanders came across a common seal pup near Sint Jacobiparochie. This one was lying alone in the mud with no mother around. As it was a young animal, the bystanders assumed it could not take care of itself. Therefore, they decided to take the pup with them. They then called Sealcentre Pieterburen to seek professional help.

Acting on Seal Agreement

While the Sealcentre understands the good intentions, this is not the desired course of action. Picking up and helping seals yourself is contrary to the policy set out in the 2020 Seal Agreement . This agreement puts the focus on observing wild seals before deciding whether rehabilitation is needed. Therefore, there are trained seal guards who monitor reported animals and relay all necessary information to the seal centre for which they operate. The centre then decides whether to take a seal to the centre. This way gives the most certainty that rehabilitation was the right choice. If the public decides to intervene themselves, it becomes impossible for seal centres to pursue this policy.

Pup Crista is named after the hooded seal

A seal mother can leave her pup alone for up to eight hours, without anything needing to be wrong. Unfortunately, the pup was too severely disturbed to be returned to the area she came from. It was therefore decided to take the animal in. Once in Pieterburen, she was given the name Crista. This name is derived from the scientific name for the hooded seal, Cystophora cristata. A species of seal not normally found in the Netherlands, but which gave birth to a young on Vlieland in March this year. A unique event and therefore the inspiration for the name of the first pup this summer. She was probably at most six days old and born prematurely. This makes her still very weak and she is therefore closely monitored by the vets and intensively cared for. The pup can currently be admired from a safe distance at the Seal Centre.

Pup season in full swing

The first pup marks the start of the common seal's birthing season. Many pups will be born in the coming period and receive milk from their mothers for about three to four weeks. All seal centres and seal guards therefore continue to appeal to keep as much distance as possible from seals at this time in particular, so that mother and pup can pass this suckling period undisturbed. If people still have doubts about the health of an animal, they should report it via 144 (available 24 hours a day). After being reported, seals are observed for at least 24 hours, as research shows that many seals can handle themselves well - provided they get enough rest during those 24 hours. Seal guards can ensure this by cordoning off areas and informing the public, while staying in touch with seal centres about the animal's condition.

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Volwassen grijze zeehond

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Last Sunday, Cornelia was released! This adult grey seal came to us weakened on 21 February. And now she is strong enough again to return to the Wadden Sea. Together with other grey seals, she was released. It was a beautiful release at sunset.

Het gebeurt niet vaak dat we een volwassen grijze zeehond in de opvang hebben. Vrijwilliger Martina Zilian heeft mooie foto’s van haar gemaakt. 

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  • Zeehond cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

  • Close up van zeehond cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

  • Volwassen grijze zeehond Cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

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Collega Sander op tv programma Tijd voor Max

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De geboorte van een klapmuts op Vlieland was bijzonder nieuws. Onze collega Sander van Dijk was uitgenodigd bij het tv programma Tijd voor Max om meer te vertellen over de deze zeehondensoort. Hij had onder andere een schedel van klapmuts meegenomen om te laten zien aan de kijkers. Ook was Gerard Koster Joenje van vlielandplaatjes.nl erbij om wat mooie beelden te laten zien. De onderstaande afbeeldingen zijn ook van Gerard. 

Bekijk here het fragment.

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Hooded seal births pup on Vlieland

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On the morning of Monday 27 March, a hooded seal gave birth to a pup on the beach of Vlieland. The hooded seal is a seal species that occurs naturally around the polar region, so that makes this very exceptional and special. After consultation with Sealcentre Pieterburen and the local seal guard, police and army have closed the area to the public for the time being. However, this is of limited duration and the centre is concerned about long-term conditions for the pup. Therefore, the centre calls for the animals to rest.

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On Monday 27 March, seal guard Willem made a very special discovery on the beach of Vlieland: a hooded seal that had recently given birth to a pup on the beach of Vlieland. Never before had this occurred. Hooded seals are native to the polar region and have one of the shortest nursing periods of all seal species: only four days on average. Therefore, the we are so gratefull that the local police and the army closed off the area around the mother and pup for the time being. Hopefully, the two will be able to get through the suckling period undisturbed.

The short suckling period will be followed by a period of fasting for the young animal, during which it will occasionally ingest some fluids through the ice it normally lies on. Then the animal goes hunting in the open waters of the polar region. These conditions are obviously lacking here. The centre is therefore concerned about how the pup will fare afterwards. Either way, it will be important to give the animals rest, and the centre makes the appeal to do so. Moreover, it is working with police and army to find a solution to keep the area closed for longer.


The hooded seal is a seal species listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN red list. They live mainly around Greenland. Every now and then, young animals sometimes end up elsewhere. Several hooded seals have also been taken in the Netherlands, but 3 times in the past 10 years. In 2013, a young hooded seal came into Sealcentre Pieterburen and in 2014 and 2018 at A Seal in Stellendam.

Photo credit: Gerard Koster Joenje, vlielandplaatjes.nl


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