A February Update from the team at Seal Rescue Ireland!
We were delighted this past weekend at Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) to host our annual ‘Seal Dip’ fundraiser followed by the release of four healthy seal pups back into the wild! We received great support from the huge crowd who came out to join us and the day was a success all round!
Our most recent release in North Was saw us saying a proud goodbye to pups Pine, Aloe Vera, Hazel and Waterlilly.
Pine, one of our most notable seals, was found completely entangled in discarded fishing net on a Waterford beach on the 27th of November. Thankfully, a member of our rescue team was able to come to his aid, remove the netting and transport him safely to our rescue centre for care. Discarded fishing net, referred to as ‘ghost netting’, accounts for a huge portion of the plastic pollution currently found in our oceans and poses a significant threat to all marine life. The fishing net entangling Pine resulted in deep tissue injuries to his neck, which was treated by the animal care team at SRI using manuka honey, a natural antiseptic that promotes skin healing!
Of the other three seals released, Hazel was rescued in far away Donegal, with Aloe Vera and Waterlily being rescued right here in Wexford. All three pups were very underweight for their ages and suffering from respiratory infections upon intake. Seal pups can find themselves in this condition for a number of reasons, for example, being separated too early from their mums before a good body weight has been achieved, or being unable to find sufficient food in the areas where they have entered the sea.
After lots of hard work and dedication by SRI’s animal care team, made possible by the generosity of our supporters, all four seals became strong, chubby, healthy and were more than ready to be released back into the wild. Good luck out there pups!
In addition to the release, SRI also hosted a ‘Seal Dip’ fundraising event that day! As a charity we rely heavily on donations from the public to continue the work at our Seal Rescue Centre. Every year our interns and staff nominate themselves to participate in a polar plunge if they can meet their fundraising goal. We are happy to report that each of our seal dippers reached their goal! Eight brave members of our staff took the plunge, running into the freezing sea, showing our seals how it’s done, and raising over €2.200 in the process!
We’d like to say a massive thank you to all our supporters who came out on the day, donated to our fundraisers and contribute year round, for allowing us to continually advance Seal Rescue Ireland’s animal care and conservation efforts.
If you are interested in hosting your own fundraiser in aid of Seal Rescue Ireland (RCN20108519) email our Community Engagement Manager, Kim, at events@sealrescueireland.org
