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Tears were shed on an isolated beach in Northern Ireland as two seal pups were released back into the wild after months of recuperation.<\/p>\nTears were shed on an isolated beach in Northern Ireland as two seal pups were released back into the wild after months of recuperation.<\/p>\n
Grey seals Bran and Thor were given an emotional send off on Sunday morning at the tranquil Knockinelder bay at the tip of Co Down\u2019s Ards Peninsula.<\/p>\n
The pups were saved by Northern Ireland\u2019s only seal sanctuary at the nearby Exploris Aquarium.<\/p>\n
They were found dangerously underweight in the early autumn having not received sufficient milk from their mother.<\/p>\n
After months of rehabilitation and feeding up at Exploris, they gained enough weight and insulating blubber for a return to the Irish Sea.<\/p>\n
A small crowd gathered at the bay on Sunday to watch as sanctuary staff, who had helped bring the pups back to health, said goodbye.<\/p>\n
Two children were invited to open the doors of the pups\u2019 crates to let them make their way down to the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n
Peter Williams, who runs the animal welfare department at Exploris, said it was a time of mixed emotions for his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be emotional for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love what we do. It\u2019s very important for us to keep our distance when working with the animals \u2013 essentially they are wild animals and that\u2019s what they need to stay, so we do interact very little with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, each one has their own personality and we all have a favorite and when you say goodbye it\u2019s almost like sending a child off to university.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sanctuary cares for between 20 to 40 seals every year.<\/p>\n
Mr Williams said last year was particularly busy for the team at Exploris because extreme weather conditions presented more problems for seal pups.<\/p>\n
The sanctuary relies on members of the public to contact it when they find a seal in difficulty.<\/p>\n
For more information visit www.explorisni.com\/seal-sanctuary<\/a><\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>