A seal who was rescued after being found with a piece of boat rubber piping stuck around her neck has been released back to the wild. 

Cruella, an adult grey seal, was rescued by Friends of Horsey Seals on March 26 from Horsey Beach. 

She was rushed to the RSPCA’s East Winch Wildlife Centre where staff and the centre’s vet battled to remove the piping - thought to have come off a boat - from her neck.

It was deeply embedded causing a severe wound which was infected. 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The plastic piping, thought to have come from a boat, which injured a seal at Horsey in Norfolk. The plastic piping, thought to have come from a boat, which injured a seal at Horsey in Norfolk. (Image: Friends of Horsey Seals)

 

She is one of eight seals already this year who have been rescued after being found with entanglements around their neck and have needed specialist care at the East Winch Wildlife Centre. 

The piping was removed and she was given regular salt baths to help heal the wound as well as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.  

She then needed help to build up her strength ready for her release. 

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The staff from the centre have now travelled to Horsey Beach to release Cruella back to the colony watched on by seal rescuers from the local charities. 

Evangelos Achilleos, centre manager said: “We have had a real spate of entangled seals being brought to us after they have been found with items entangled around their neck - it is really worrying how many we have had to help in such a short space of time. 

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“Cruella’s entanglement was particularly horrific as she had some kind of rubber piping, probably used as a seal for a boat, around her neck and it had cut in causing just the most awful injury.” 

If you would like to support the seal rehabilitation work of the centre you can visit their Just Giving page.  

It currently costs around £6,000 a month to feed the seals and the centre’s water bill is around £4,000.