Last rescued seal pups of the season released back into the wild in Cornwall
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has helped 50 pups since the autumn
The last group of rescued seal pups of the season have been released back into the wild in Cornwall.
They have all been set free at Porthtowan after going through rehab at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary and being nursed back to health.
Each pup is monitored and treated in the Seal Hospital, before being moved into the rehabilitation pools for ongoing support before heading back into the wild.
It has been another busy season for the Gweek-based charity, with more than 50 pups having been rescued around the Cornish coastline since autumn last year.
On average, it costs around ÂŁ2,000 to rescue and rehabilitate a seal for release, which is funded entirely by donations and visits to the sanctuary.
Tamara Cooper, Curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, says: “It’s been another incredibly busy winter for our rescue partners BDMLR and our animal care team here at the sanctuary. With more than 50 pups rehabbed throughout the season, they have certainly kept us all busy!
“This at the heart of what we do - to provide expert care for sick, injured, or distressed seals and other marine animals in need of help who are found around our shores.
“With changes to climate, such as more frequent storms, dangers of plastic pollution and human disturbance, there are a number of reasons why seals might be rescued and brought to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary throughout the year.
“Our job is to do everything we can to get those seals back into the wild and support this species for generations to come.”
Seal pup rescue case study: Nemo
Nemo was rescued on the 26th of November 2021 on Gwenver beach, near Penzance.
After being notified of an injured seal, the team at the Sanctuary set off to go and monitor the pup to see if further intervention was needed.
Checking over his body, they found that he’d suffered from multiple infected wounds on his flippers and middle.
He was brought back to the Sanctuary without delay and administered the medication needed to start his rehabilitation journey at the Seal Hospital.
Fortunately, Nemo’s wounds healed quickly over the following days, and he soon moved to the nursery pools to interact with other seal pups, where he could practice natural instincts like competing for fish.
He learnt to eat for himself very quickly and, on 12th January 2022, he was released weighing 46 kilos (a fantastic weight for a grey seal pup!). He was released with fellow pool-mates Blue Shark and Starfish.
You can support the Cornish Seal Sanctuary here.