Ian Ellis was watching for birds at the Frampton marsh nature preserve in Lincolnshire England.
When he spots something unusual through his scope, the cattle gathered in cosy circle
around it and got so close they looked like they were hugging.
Concerned that some kind of living thing was in danger, the stranger went closer.
What he saw in the centre of the circle of cows.
However, shocked him completely.
Aside from the curious cows, she was surrounded by a muddy field and was in rough shape.
She was going to need a lot of help if there was any hope of returning her to her proper
home.
Ian Ellis was birdwatching when he happened upon this strange sight.
A group of cows had their attention fixated on something small in the middle of a muddy
pasture.
Ian Ellis realized all too quickly that this baby animal, most certainly didn't not belong
there.
It was a stranded baby seal, Ian rushed over to the animal to investigate.
It was clear that she was suffering and completely exhausted.
And it made sense after all the ocean was three miles away.
How could she have gotten this far?
Ian knew that he was going to have to do more than simply carry her back to the ocean, several
miles away.
Rescuers quickly arrived on the scene and helped pull the baby seal out of the muddy
marsh.
They then brought her to the nearby Skegness Nature Land Seal Sanctuary, where she was
treated for a dehydration and a lung infection.
Not only that, but she was also severely malnourished.
Much to the staff of the rescue’s Great surprise.
The little seal responded incredibly well to the treatment.
She was quickly gaining back the weight she had lost and she was showing lots of spirit.
She even made a new friend named Charlie.
After she spent some time in recovery at the animal rescue center, the seals rescuers determined
that she was finally well enough to be returned to the wild.
It was clear that all she needed from the get-go was to be properly fed and taken care
of.
Not wanting her to be released back into the wild all by herself, the sanctuary’s team
brought both her and Charlie to the ocean and decided that it would be best to release
them together.
After all, everyone could use a friend when they make a big move like this.
The seal sanctuary staff was sure to document the momentous occasion too.
You can see how much bigger she'd grown since she was first discovered.
Knowing that she was stronger and healthy helped to offer a hopeful glimpse of the future,
that lay ahead for the once malnourished baby seal.
The team was nervous for a reason, as it turns out, seals have recently experienced a resurgence
in their population after having been on the endangered species list for a number of years.
While it was certainly great news that these animals are making a comeback, it could also
lead to other problems.
The repopulation of wild seals while great for the seals themselves often results in
a decrease in the amount of food available.
And even though researchers were aware of this problem, it wasn't until a recent encounter
with a seal named Pipster gave them an even more clear idea of how out of control the
issue is.
Like the baby seal, who was discovered by the cows, Pipster was extremely malnourished
and dehydrated when rescuers first discovered him.
They took him into the sanctuary to help him recover where he began to heal quickly.
And just like the baby seal, they were able to release Pipster back into the wild shortly
after his rescue.
Not long after his release, however Pipster was discovered again, and this time he was
in a rather awkward spot, hungry and exhausted, and in a Bush on the side of an extremely
busy freeway.
What a sweet ending for the first seal and it's nice to see that Pipster was also getting
the help he so desperately needed.
It's heart-warming to think about these adorable seals playing in the wild as free, happy,
and healthy animals.
Those celebration had quite the journey, she is finally back in the ocean where she belongs.
The Skegness Natureland Seal Sanctuary did a great thing by taking in this poor little
seal and giving her the care, she needed.
There was a tragedy in the forest and no one knows what would have happened if our team
hadn't intervened.
Thankful that Celebration made it back home safe and even met a new friend along the way!