A grey seal pup who was rehabilitated by the RSPCA after being orphaned during Storm Eleanor in January 2018 has been sighted again as an adult - nearly four years later.

Tolgus, named after a Cornish tin mine, was found on Constantine Bay during severe weather that swept across the country.

The severely exhausted pup, along with five other baby seals, had become separated from his mum when he was picked up by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on 11 January 2018.

Local wildlife facilities were overwhelmed at the time with an unprecedented number of rescue seal pups, so Tolgus and the rest of the group made a 300-mile journey to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich, Cheshire.

The pups were cared for at the centre for several months and then transferred to the charity’s East Winch Wildlife Hospital in Norfolk to complete their rehabilitation in deeper pools before being released back on the north coast of Wales at Colwyn Bay on 5 July 2018.

This week, 47 months after he was rescued in Cornwall, Tolgus was spotted on a beach in Llandudno by a member of a local seal volunteer group thanks to the identification tag on his flipper.

Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, said: “So much time and effort goes into rehabilitating seal pups; it takes many months and is very expensive. Releasing them back into the wild is a great feeling, but receiving news that our seal pups like Tolgus are doing well in the wild so many years later is fantastic.

Orphaned seal pup rescued in Cornwall spotted four years later in Wales
Tolgus was spotted on a beach in Llandudno by a member of a local seal volunteer group thanks to the identification tag on his flipper (RSPCA)

“Knowing that we are releasing our animals back into the wild ‘fit for purpose’ means everything to the team here. Every seal pup that leaves an RSPCA centre has a Dalton Tag put on them, so those monitoring in the field can feed back sightings like this.”

Caring for seal pups is hard work, particularly when they first arrive at Stapeley Grange. They are given a ‘rehydrate’ solution and then moved on to a fish soup within 24 hours which to start with, is fed five times a day. Depending on their size and condition, the pups are then switched to a diet of whole fish as soon as possible. This initially involves force feeding them until they get the hang of it themselves.

Orphaned seal pup rescued in Cornwall spotted four years later in Wales
As they begin to put on weight they are moved from Stapeley Grange’s isolation unit to the wildlife centre’s outdoor pools (RSPCA)

As they begin to put on weight they are moved from Stapeley Grange’s isolation unit to the wildlife centre’s outdoor pools (above).

The pups are then transferred across to East Winch in Norfolk for six to eight weeks, where they can socialise and start to compete for food with others in deeper pools. As soon as they weigh over 40kg (approx 6st 4lb) they go back to Stapeley, before being returned to the wild.

If you are concerned about a seal, the RSPCA advises that you observe from a distance. Please keep other animals - such as dogs - away, and never return the seal to the water yourself. Sick seal pups haul up onto the beach to rest, but so do healthy pups who will stay on the sand from birth till they wean.

If you have observed the seal for at least 24 hours and are concerned about it please contact the RSPCA for advice on 0300 1234 999. If you are worried about a pup, or if the animal looks sick, injured or is on a busy public beach, stay at a safe distance and also contact the advice line.

For more advice about what to do if you see a seal pup on its own visit the RSPCA’s website.

To support Stapeley’s seal pups, during this extremely difficult time, please donate to the Centre’s Wildlife JustGiving site.