Orphaned seals return to the wild (From Western Telegraph)

Orphaned seals return to the wild

A group of orphaned seals rescued and reared by the RSPCA were released back into the wild in Wales this week after spending the last few months recuperating in Norfolk.

A total of four young adult seals were released yesterday (Tuesday) at Martins Haven.

The seals have been reared at the RSPCAs Wildlife Hospital in Norfolk, after being found as orphaned pups at different locations along the West Wales coastline during winter.

Over the last few months they have had intensive medical treatment and been fed a nutritious diet to fatten them up. Experts now say that they are ready to be released back into their natural habitat.

RSPCA inspectors say that fewer seals than ever before had to be rescued over the winter months thanks to the very mild winter in Wales.

Only ten were rescued compared to at least 25 in previous years.

RSPCA chief inspector Romain de Kerckhove said: There are a number of reasons why seals have to be rescued - seals are abandoned by their mothers when they are young, but some of them simply cant cope with life on their own so we give them a helping hand. Others are injured.

This year we were very pleased that so few seal pups were abandoned on beaches in West Wales and we think that the mild weather had something to do with that. Im delighted to say that some of the seals that we rescued are fighting fit and were ready to be released back into the wild.