Here is information about our adopted seal Bran. Isn't he cute??
Thank you for adopting Bran and supporting his rehabilitation!
Meet Bran!
Meet Bran, a male Grey seal, who was found at Kilfarassy, Co. Waterford on the 7th of January 2023. Bran was reported to us via our 24/7 Rescue Hotline, after a member of the public spotted this tiny pup on the beach. We started calling members of our amazing Rescue Volunteer Network, asking them to assess and possibly lift this pup. It was determined that he was emaciated and dehydrated and our Animal Care Team gave the instruction to lift the pup.
Grey seal pups only spend the first 2-3 weeks under their mother’s care until they moult the fluffy, white “lanugo” coat they were born with, and then are left to figure out how to survive the elements on their own. Once their coat is shed, ideally they’ll have put on enough blubber from their mother’s fat-rich milk, and then she will not return to feed her pup again and the pup’s natural instincts must kick in and they know to enter the sea to hunt. It was clear from Bran’s condition that he had not yet learned to thrive on his own and intervention was needed.
Our volunteers safely lifted and transported Bran to our rehabilitation centre in Courtown, Co. Wexford, where our experienced Animal Care Team were ready to get to work.
Welcome to SRI Bran
Upon arrival, Bran was admitted to our Intensive Care Unit where he was examined from nose to tail by our skilled Animal Care Team. Bran was rescued when he was likely between 4 and 6 weeks old. His initial examination found that he was underweight at only 12.6kg, had small cuts on his flippers, and his eyes and nose were very dry. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, Bran was now able to sleep and regain his strength in safety. We are happy to report that his wounds have fully healed and he has started to gain weight.
