Four young seals who spent weeks being rehabilitated at the RSPCA wildlife centre in Nantwich have started the next stage of their journey before being released back to the sea.
The seal pups arrived at RSPCA Stapeley Grange last year in separate incidents which involved them having been found alone without their mums.
They were all underweight when they arrived at the centre but over the last few months have gained enough weight to be almost ready to go back to the sea.
Four of Stapeley’s seal pups were transported to Welsh Mountain Zoo last week in Colwyn Bay, where they will stay while they gain a little extra weight in the coming days before being released on the nearby beach.
Stapeley Grange and Welsh Mountain Zoo have been working together because of the numbers of seals Stapeley has been receiving.
Previously, seals rescued on the west coastline and brought into Stapeley Grange would be transferred to the RSPCA’s East Winch Wildlife Centre in Norfolk, as it has bigger and deeper pools for seals to socialise, compete for food and to practice their swimming and diving skills.
They would then be transferred back to Stapeley Grange so they could be released back on to the west coast.
Now the seals are able to take the shorter journey to the the Welsh Mountain Zoo to stay in deep pools for the final part of their rehabilitation before heading back to sea.
Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said: “It is so important that wildlife rehabilitators work together, we are all trying to save as many lives as possible with limited resources.
“We have a fantastic relationship with Welsh Mountain Zoo when it comes to returning seals back to the wild, so we really do appreciate their support in taking on our seals for the last leg of their rehabilitation.
“It is always a lovely moment to witness the seals diving into a deep pool for the first time – we really are very fortunate to work with such charismatic species.”
A spokesperson from Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “We work in close partnership with the RSPCA and as such we receive several seal pups a year in need of rehabilitation that have unfortunately been separated from their mothers.
“The work we carry out here at the Zoo sees the seal pups being fed several times a day in order for them to reach optimal weight ready to be released back into the sea, which we do locally.
“Without the support from the RSPCA, these seals would not stand a chance to survive, and we are proud to work in partnership with them to ensure that the pups go on to live long and healthy lives back in the wild.”
Below is RSPCA video of the seal pups at Welsh Mountain Zoo:
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