AN American animal lover has found her dream job after being appointed the new manager of the National Seal Sanctuary in Gweek.

Michelle Drew, 38, originally from Los Angeles fell in love with the seals when she visited the sanctuary during her first holiday visit to Cornwall.

After seeing the job advertised, Mrs Drew jumped at the chance as it was exactly the kind of job she had been looking for.

She said: "I was just blown away by the dedication of the staff at the sanctuary when I visited it. It is my dream job and I am so passionate about animals and the environment."

The new manager said that she has big plans for the sanctuary and hopes to encourage more people to visit particularly at this time of year when they are looking after the seal pups.

Mrs Drew, who lives in Porthallow, added: "Also this Easter we will be having a new species of seal called the fur seal which are from Southern Africa and are considered to be endangered.

"Seals really are breathtaking animals, but what is even more amazing is the staff here. They are here day and night, seven days a week looking after the seals."

The arrival of the new manager also saw the opening of a new indoor facility for school visits.

Mrs Drew grew up in Los Angeles and went to Beverly Hills School before going to UCLA where she gained a BA in international relations.

She then worked in Berlin for three years making educational programmes for German television before moving to Scotland where she divided her time between freelance production work for BBC Scotland and studying an MSc in human ecology at Edinburgh University.