Arctic seal pup found in Aberdeen bay returned to wild

Hispi was rehabilitated by the SSPCA

A seal native to Arctic waters which turned up in a bay in Aberdeen has been nursed back to health and returned to the wild.

Ringed seals have been spotted in the UK no more than 30 times in the last century. But in August, one was found in Cove Bay.

Rescuers said the young male was lethargic and had multiple abrasions.

The Scottish SPCA said the seal pup had been rehabilitated and then on Saturday was released back into the water.

The charity believes the seal, which it named Hispi, could have made his way down to Aberdeen as a result of his mother searching for food to the north of Scotland.

He was initially mistaken for a common seal pup because ringed seals can venture to Greenland or Norway, but it is unusual for one to be found as far south.

Hispi spent the night before his release at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in Shetland

Hispi was between six and eight weeks old when he was rescued. He was taken to an SSPCA rescue centre, where he was cared for until he was released back into the wild.

The charity's team flew the seal to Shetland in the hope he would be able to make his way home from there.

'Back where he belongs'

The SSPCA's Sarah Beattie travelled north with him.

"We're delighted to be able to release Hispi back in to the wild where he belongs," she said.

"We're not sure how he ended up in Aberdeen or what caused him to be separated from his mother.

"Although he was only six to eight weeks old when he came in to our care, he recovered well from his injuries and quickly began putting on weight.

"Our team arranged for him to be flown to Shetland so that he could be released from the most northerly point in Scotland and have the best possible chance of making it back home where he belongs."

She continued: "We couldn't be happier with how the release went. He didn't hang about for very long and it was great to see him back in his natural habitat and starting his journey home.

Before his release on Saturday, Hispi spent the night at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary on the island.