Orphan seal pup rescued for SECOND time after vicious storms
Orphaned Prius spent eight months in rehabilitation only to need saving again weeks later after becoming a victim of recent storms. During that time the doleful-eyed harbour seal not only managed to swim 200 miles from Ireland to Wales, but she also lost half her bodyweight. RSPCA vets are now giving Prius a second spell of extensive care with the hope that she will be able to go back to the sea again. Prius’s incredible journey has been mapped because she was wearing an identification tag when she was rescued on salt marshes near Swansea University last week. She was seriously underweight, tipping the scales at a mere 31lb as well as having serious fur loss on her flanks and belly.
RSPCA Prius has been rescued for a second time after becoming a victim of the recent storms
This poor seal has certainly had a difficult time with this her second rescue since July last year Ellie West
It was when RSPCA staff checked the tag on her hind flipper they were able to chart her travels from the west coast of Ireland down to a release point near Cork only for her to then swim eastwards to Wales. After her first rescue at Ballyvaughan in County Clare last July, she spent eight months recuperating before being released at the beginning of the year having put on a healthy amount of weight. Yet nine weeks after being set free near Cork, Prius became one of the 100-plus seals rescued by the RSPCA this year around the Welsh and South West coastlines. RSPCA animal collection officer Ellie West said: “This poor seal has certainly had a difficult time with this her second rescue since July last year. “She had been tagged by Seal Rescue Ireland, which gives us valuable information on where she has come from.
RSPCA Prius swam 200 miles and lost half her bodyweight after being released the first time
“We now know she had spent eight months in their care, having been rescued at Ballyvaughan, and released near Cork a few days into 2018. “Prius was seriously underweight when we collected her, and she’ll now undergo a period of specialist rehabilitation to ensure this seal can be safely returned to the wild. “We'll want to see her weighing 77lb before she's safely released. “It is so rewarding to see them go back to where they belong and, hopefully, after a spell of rehabilitation and at a healthy weight Prius will be released back into the wild.”
When Prius was originally rescued as an orphaned pup last July she was named Gwen by Seal Rescue Ireland and was only about eight days old. Months of effort helped to build up her strength and swimming skills but after her release in early January bad weather struck. Melanie Croce, Operations Manager of Seal Rescue Ireland, said: “The vast majority of the seals flourish when returned to the wild but, unfortunately, there are always exceptions and with the recent increase in severe storms, all wild populations are facing added pressure for survival. “This extreme weather has also contributed to our facility admitting a record number of intakes at 137 and counting this season.
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