Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary discovered this freshly molted grey seal pup hanging out on the grass by an old pier near Norwick beach, looking desperate for help. He was thin and exhausted and didn’t have the energy to make it back into the water.
Gerald was the very first seal of 2022 to arrive at the sanctuary. When the sanctuary received a call about him, they immediately contacted the Scottish SPCA, who was able to catch him just before it got dark.
“Though he is a decent size for a young grey seal, he is quite thin and his breathing is not good. The fact that people were able to approach him without him heading for the sea was a sure sign he was not well, and in fact, when Scott approached him he headed in the opposite direction towards the road,” explained Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in a Facebook post.
Since he was so malnourished, they tubed him with rehydration fluid and made a batch of fish porridge. They also treated Gerlad for lungworm and gave him a heated seal pen to rest in while he regained his strength.
Once the sanctuary determines that he is healthy enough and has put on adequate body weight, they will be releasing him back to the wild as soon as possible!
This article by Holly Woodbury was first published by OneGreenPlanet on 20 July 2022. Lead Image Source : TheDodo/YouTube.
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