They say a good breakfast is needed to set you up for the day. I have to some extent followed this well used saying today by waking up to Kellogs, Nutrigrain, Porridge, Ready Brek, Start and Boulder. However it was no normal breakfast time but a fantastic opportunity for me to help with the first stage of the transfer of the 'Stapeley Six' (that were named after cereals by the staff at RSPCA East Winch!) back to Norfolk where they will begin their final stages of rehabilitation, before their release.
I joined RSPCA Driver Dan Ward on the first leg of the move which involved our moving a seal that had been rescued from Liverpool Docks to 'Welsh Mountain Zoo' and to bring back to Stapeley, three of the 'Stapeley Six' who had been there for the past six weeks. Our Liverpool seal will spend some time at the Zoo, before being returned to the wild.
The three 'Stapeley Six' seals were looking great after their time at the zoo, fantastic body condition. It was now their turn to be loaded up for the short journey back to Stapeley. Thanks to the help of the zoo's friendly staff the exchange went very smoothly and we returned to Stapeley with our bargain of three seals for the price of one!
Two days later and their final move back to Norfolk from where they will be finally released. It was a mammoth task carefully herding each seal into a Vari Kennel and then lifting them onto the RSPCA van, especially with their extra weight and it being another early start!
Fortunately the seals were fairly compliant and we had them boxed up and ready for transfer within an hour; Dan was on the road once again. Seeing their progress through the various stages of rehabilitation and grow has been fantastic, then being part of their final transfers has really made it a special moment for me. As they say 'all good things must come to an end' but I will certainly not miss the awful smell of herring!
Its been a massive team effort at Stapeley to help through these six seal pups and we have been helped massively by the staff at 'Welsh Mountain Zoo' who looked after three of the 'Stapeley Six'. The hard work is now over to the seals but we have at least given them a chance of a life back in the wild, where nature intended.
By Michelle Bite
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