Seal nearly decapitated by fishing line recovers and returns to wild

By Elizabeth Hunter via SWNS

A seal that was "nearly decapitated" from being trapped in a fishing line has made a miraculous recovery - and been returned to the wild.

Ariel the grey seal was found on a beach in Johnshaven in Scotland with fishing gear around her neck.

She was rescued by a Scottish SPCA officer, but was heavily bleeding, weakened, and suffering from life-threatening injuries - including a deep wound to her neck.

The wound had become severely infected, worsening the condition of one-year-old Ariel.

She was rushed to the Scottish SPCA's National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross, where the seal rehabilitation team began nursing her back to health.

Wildlife Assistant Caitlin Ganley says: “Ariel was the worst entanglement case we’ve ever had to deal with. It was heart-breaking to see the extent of her injuries all of which could have been avoided.

“Seals are particularly vulnerable to becoming entangled in fishing lines, nets and other debris. Once trapped they often suffer slow painful deaths as the gear tightens around their necks and bodies

“Although the vast majority of anglers are responsible and take care to clear away their equipment after they've used it, there is a minority of people who fish and don't respect the environment and the wildlife that inhabits it."

The wildlife team removed the fishing gear from Ariel's neck, and began a complex process of cleaning and treating her wounds.

She was given a strict regime of antibiotics, and staff routinely cleaned her wounds and changed her dressing. Staff also assisted with her feedings, as she was refusing to eat on her own.
The whole process took several months before Ariel was finally nursed back to health and a 56kg weight.

Caitlin says: “Our main goal was to keep Ariel alive but her welfare and how we were managing her pain and stress was equally important too.

“Once she started eating on her own we knew she had a fighting chance of recovery.

“At that point, it became a matter of allowing her body to heal and getting her weight up so she could be released.”

After three months Ariel was finally released - much to the joy of the wildlife team.

Caitlin says: “ It was so emotional watching Ariel swim off as a team we were thrilled to watch her return to the sea, fully healed and ready to resume her life in the wild were she belongs.

“This is why we do the work we do and always go the extra mile.

“We put so much of ourselves into her recovery and watching her swim away, knowing she has a second chance makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

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