Seal pups released in Cornwall after rehab at sanctuary

A spokesperson for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary said it was "amazing" to release them on Wednesday

The last of 50 rescued seal pups have been released back into the wild.

The pups had been rescued from Cornwall's coastline and rehabilitated by the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in what was a "busy pup season", the charity said.

A spokesperson for the sanctuary said it was "amazing" to release the six seals on Wednesday.

Megan Gunnell said some of the pups were "a little more reluctant than others to go off".

They had been rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and taken to the sanctuary in Gweek, west Cornwall.

Ms Gunnell said: "It feels amazing. All the hard work is worth it, it's a bit bitter sweet because you get to know them really well when they're poorly and spend time making them better.

"You see them from their very worst to their very best now, but at the end of the day it's amazing."

Megan Gunnell said "all the hard work" had paid off as they said farewell to the pups

Tamara Cooper, curator at the sanctuary, said: "It's been another incredibly busy winter for our rescue partners BDMLR and our animal care team here at the sanctuary.

"With changes to climate, such as more frequent storms, dangers of plastic pollution and human disturbance, there are a number of reasons why seals might be rescued and brought to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary throughout the year.

"Our job is to do everything we can to get those seals back into the wild and support this species for generations to come," she said.

The charity said it costs about £2,000 on average to rescue and rehabilitate a seal for release.

The seals had been rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue and taken to the sanctuary in Gweek, west Cornwall