Two grey seal pups rescued from Pembrokeshire in the Autumn have been released back into the wild, following a spell of care with the RSPCA.

The malnourished pups were initially rescued by Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR) - before being transferred into the care of the RSPCA.

The first pup was rescued from Freshwater West and taken to RSPCA Mallydams Wood wildlife centre, in Fairlight, near Hastings, on October 14.

The second - again rescued by WMLR - this time from St Brides near Haverfordwest, was taken to the RSPCA wildlife centre on November 5.

Caring for seal pups is hard work, particularly in the first few weeks of them arriving at an RSPCA centre. They are fed a ‘rehydrate’ solution and then are moved onto a fish soup within 24 hours - and, to start, are fed five times a day.

At Mallydams Wood wildlife centre the seal pups were nicknamed after ‘His Dark Materials’ characters - Lyra and Lord Faa.

Following their rehabilitation and care the two seals were ready to be released back into the wild and were transferred back to South Wales for their release on December 19.

RSPCA animal collection officer Ellie West carried out the release along with RSPCA animal welfare officer Andrew Harris.

Ellie said: “It is always the best part of the job when we release wildlife back to where they belong - and for us this was the perfect early Christmas present to see them happily swim off into the sea.

“Thanks to a spell of rehabilitation at our wildlife centre they have been able to put on the right amount of weight and were then fit enough to be released at Port Eynon in the Gower.”

After a busy 2019 seal season, Ellie said they would like to thank Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR) for their support.

“We’re so grateful to WMLR, who do incredible work with us in looking out for seals,” she said. “We’re also very grateful to the members of the public who have spotted and reported seals in distress to us.”

Ideally, lone seal pups looking fit and healthy should be monitored from a safe distance for 24 hours. If a seal pup is injured or in distress, the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency line should be contacted on 0300 1234 999.

Ellie added: “It’s not unusual to see a seal pup by itself, as their mothers will leave the pups alone very early on in life.

If you find a seal pup that looks fit and healthy and shows no signs of distress, monitor it first from a safe distance for 24 hours.

“However, if the mother doesn’t return after 24 hours or the pup appears distressed, injured or unwell, or is on a busy public beach, our 24-hour emergency line can be reached on 0300 1234 999.

Please always stay at a safe distance and keep dogs well away - seals can have a very nasty bite.”

For more information about what to do if you’re concerned about a seal pup, please visit the RSPCA’s website.

If you spot an animal in distress, please call the RSPCA’s 24-hour helpline on 0300 1234 999.

This winter, the RSPCA expects to take in more than 10,000 animals in need. To help us deliver vital supplies to thousands of abused, neglected and abandoned animals left out in the cold this Christmas, visit www.rspca.org.uk/giftofkindness and watch your virtual gift fill up our sleigh with a grateful wag from Sprout the dog. Sprout, Tink and the other festive characters feature in the RSPCA’s Christmas sweatshirts: www.rspca.org.uk/christmasmerch