CROWDS gathered at Rossnowlagh beach over the weekend to watch rescued seals Hummus and Candy Cane make their journey back into the sea.
The seals had been individually rescued by volunteers in the past few months.
Candy Cane was rescued on 9 December from Enniscrone Beach in Co Sligo. At the time she was five weeks old and almost 30kg underweight. Candy Cane was found covered in cuts and had a nasty deep gash across her stomach. Hummus, two months old at the time of her rescue was very congested and had cuts over her body. She was found at Ineuran Bay, Malin Head in north Donegal on 16 February.
“Candy Cane took a little longer to recover as she had such deep wounds. Once they were out of the woods we gave them access to a bath where they could swim. Finally when all their wounds were healed and they were eating on their own and have no more medications to get they go into the pools where we did not have to handle them and we can kept them as wild as possible.”
Outlining the reasons behind choosing Rossnowlagh for the release she said, “We released two seals at Rossnowlagh last year and it’s a great spot. We like to do a couple of releases in the area to show support to the people that help us and also to educate people on seals. It’s not always possible to travel up there but we have a great group of trained volunteers in the area that are always willing to come out and help us which makes our lives much easier.”
She also issued advice for members of the public if they come across a seal in distress.
“We have now just started the common seal pupping season and the North is a very busy area for calls over the next few months. If you are on the beach and you find a pup, do not put it in the water or touch it as this can cause mum to abandon the pup. Please call us on 00353 87 195 5393.”
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