12th December 2006

Ghost Returns To Sea

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A seal pup found by the side of a country lane, miles from the coast or the nearest river, has been successfully released back into the Irish Sea., reports the RSPCA.

The male common seal - named Ghost by RSPCA staff because of his haunting black eyes - hit the headlines at the beginning of December when he was found by a woman and her daughter at the side of a country lane near the village of Capernwray, Lancashire.

They did not know the number for the RSPCA and did not want to leave him by the road, so they wrapped him up, lifted him into the boot of their car and took him to a nearby farm. Ghost was put into a calf stall until the RSPCA arrived.

He was taken to the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire to recover from his ordeal and was finally released back into the sea at Hilbre Island on Saturday, 9 December.

"It was a fantastic sight to see the seal released back in his natural habitat," said RSPCA Animal Collection Officer (ACO) John Littlewood, who oversaw the release.

"We wanted to get him back into the wild as soon as possible as he was healthy and showing a great appetite for herring. It was important that he didn't become too tame."

Between 1995 and 2002 the RSPCA released 134 common seals back into the wild, and research into their survival rate is encouraging. Six seals have been released with tiny radio tracking devices, and all have survived for at least the length of the transmitter's life - about five or six months.

ACO Cross added: "Hopefully he will thrive in the wild now and will not wander back onto land."