A QUARTET of seal pups have been released back into the wild at Penrhyn Bay Beach.
The grey seal pups, who were found on the North Wales coastline by the RSPCA during the winter, had become separated from their mothers during stormy weather.
MORE: RSPCA confirm seal sighting in Llandudno after 2018 storm rehab
The seals were all aged under one month old, and were found disorientated and in poor health, with each of them severely underweight.
All four seals were named after board and arcade games, with two males (Cluedo and Frogger) and two females (Monopoly and Risk).
We went live on the scene as the seal pups were released:
Charlotte Dykes of the Welsh Mountain Zoo commented: “Once again we see healthy pups grow and flourish, ready to take their rightful place back in the sea.
“It’s always a bittersweet moment for us as we say goodbye but ultimately this is our goal and we remain incredibly proud of our work with distressed seal pups.”
They were subsequently looked after by the RSPCA, who then delivered them onto the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay, who cared for them after that.
Weighing just 13.5kg when found, the seals left for the wild at a very healthy 41-45kg, after thriving off a diet of fresh fish – they ate up to 7kg of fish a day.
Tom Lawrence, assistant head keeper at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “You put so much hard work into it, it is nice that you can re-release them back out into the wild because it is a second chance for them.
“They shouldn’t be kept in anyway – they’re wild animals so they should be out and about.
“It’s quite nice that we do it on the beach here because there are colonies on the Little Orme just around the corner so they can join those.
“We tag them, so we do have people on the Orme that monitor the seals – it’s just nice to give them that second chance of life.”
Although apprehensive and cautious when first released, the seals took to the water easily, posing for the cameras on the shore as they bobbed up and down in the water.
They slowly ventured further out, generally staying together and exploring their new, and old, home in what was a fulfilling day for wildlife in North Wales.
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