IT HOPED that seal pups released back in the wild will find a way to navigate their way through rough seas, just like their Brexiteer namesakes.

Theresa, Jeremy and Boris happily waddled off into the Welsh Sea on Thursday, January 24 following a period of rehabilitation at the Welsh Mountain Zoo.

They were released from the beach in Penrhyn Bay following three or four months in recovery.

The pups came to the Colwyn Bay zoo at just a few days old having been abandoned by their mothers in strong winds and high seas. The pups were washed off their birthing beach and swept out to sea, with only a few finding their way back to a beach.

Video: Kerry Roberts

The marine mammals arrived at the attraction at a weight of under 12kg and left at a healthy 41kg- 45kg.

Marcia Azevedo Moreira, marketing and sales manager at the zoo, said: "It [the release back into the wild] all went really well, all three seals were happy to be allowed out and back into the sea.

"They didn’t seem to have any qualms about leaving the keepers behind as they adventured quickly out into the sea. They did linger on for a little bit near the shoreline, as the sea is a whole different world to them, new noises and smells, but with patience and some time, all three eventually took off to their new life back at sea."

Peter Litherland, animal collection manager at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “We are now well-versed in the rehabilitation of seal pups and are fully prepared to begin a course of caring and nurturing, as soon as any seals arrive with us to get them back to a healthy state. We work closely with the RSPCA who use our experience to support them with any cases involving seals as far as Northumberland and beyond.

"It costs approximately £7 a day to feed growing pups plus a huge investment in keeper time to get the sickly pups to a good weight. It is always a privilege to be part of the team that transforms the physical well-being of these lovely pups and it’s wonderful to see a healthy seal swim away to a new future it almost certainly would not have had.

“We always breathe a sigh of relief when we see them swim away as it has taken three or four months of careful painstaking work and long hours to get these malnourished pups back to health, so a bitter sweet moment to say goodbye."