An orphaned seal pup who was found emaciated on a beach earlier this year has been released into the sea after making a full recovery.
A member of the public discovered the pup at Binnion Beach on the northwestern coast of Ireland in January, and called Seal Rescue Ireland for help.
The animal rescue charity named her Atria, after Alpha Trianguli Australis, the brightest star in the southern constellation of Triangulum Australe.
At the time, Melanie Croce, executive director of Seal Rescue Ireland, told Newsweek the pup weighed around 88lbs less than she should have, and still had baby fur known as lanugo on her flippers.
That meant she was likely around a month old when she was found, had been abandoned by her mother and was therefore not eating. The charity hoped she could be released if her health progressed, including by putting on weight.
After caring for Atria for around four months, the charity released her back into the wild on Saturday, at Kiltennel Beach, approximately three miles from where she was originally found. She was released with Ptolemy, another pup the charity had cared for since February.
The charity said in a press release: "Atria has come along way from the tiny, lanugo sock wearing, underweight pup that came into our care back in January.
"Atria has shed her lanugo mittens and blossomed into a healthy thriving grey seal pup ready to continue her adventures back home in the wild."
It went on: "We are amazed with how she has progressed during her time with us here at the centre and we are sure that she will continue to thrive out in the wild."
When Atria first arrived at Seal Rescue Ireland, carers made sure she was rehydrated and her digestive system was working by giving her an electrolyte solution, before she was upgraded to a fish soup made of herring, salmon oil, and electrolytes.
To treat a cough she had developed, they gave her decongestants, and deworming drugs to combat any parasites that she may have caught.
By mid-February, the charity said it was "surprised" by how quickly Atria was able to transition to eating whole pieces of fish.
According to the charity, grey seal pubs often quickly learn to eat by themselves, as they spend only the first two to three weeks of their lives with their mothers, compared with two to three months for common pups.
When the pup sheds its coat, the mother will no longer feed it, and their natural instincts will kick in so they can hunt at sea.
Over time, Atria's became healthier and healthier. In mid-March, the charity was so pleased by her progress after she hit 50lbs that they described her as "quite the little chonk."
The end of that month saw her progress to using a pool, so she could get used to being in a larger space, interacting with other seals, and learning how to fish competitively.
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May 18, 2021 at 11:33PM
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