Both pups were rescued by the British Diver’s Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) in August and spent time with the North East Seal Triage Unit before heading to Tynemouth Seal Hospital for rehabilitation. Xana, a female pup was rescued in Redcar whilst Sprite, a male pup was rescued in Roker, Sunderland. Both pups were severely underweight and required veterinary care due to injuries and illness.
The pups have been receiving care from our team of volunteers for around a month, which primarily includes feeding them lots of fish, administering medication and giving them training with using their muscles for swimming – particularly the muscles in their nose to be able to open and close them, allowing them to hold their breath whilst underwater.
Xana has gained 19kg during her time with us and Sprite, 15kg. This fat helps the seals keep warm when they are in the cold North Sea, and gives them more strength when hunting for their own fish. Last weekend, before the arrival of Storm Boelo, our volunteers were satisfied that both pups were fit and healthy enough for their return to the wild, starting their new adventure and hopefully contributing to the growth in Harbour Seal population.
Please remember that seeing seals on our coastlines is very normal – they spend up to 80% of their time on the land to rest, which will be essential for them particularly after facing harsh weather conditions to swim. If you do spot a seal in the wild, please keep your distance, keep dogs on leads, do not disturb them and only call BDLMR if you suspect they are distressed or injured.
Tynemouth Seal Hospital is ran entirely on donations – each visit to Tynemouth Aquarium directly contributes to keeping the hospital in operation, but if you’d like to contribute further, please donate Here or shop from their Wishlist.
