A fur seal which was nursed back to health by a Nelson vet in her backyard has been released back into the wild.
On Sunday, vet Mana Stratton and Department of Conservation staff said goodbye to Molly, who after being carefully lowered into the water swam around confidently. Nearby were other fur seals which she quickly made friends with too.
“She promptly got out of the water and went over to another young seal and by the time we left she was playing with another two her age so great to see,” Mana says.
Molly made an amazing recovery after being found seriously underweight in September. She was just 5.6kgs when she was bought to Mana who initially gave her a 10-20% chance of survival.
But against all odds Molly managed to pack on the pounds, eventually weighing more than 15kg upon release.
Mana has been volunteering to care for wild animals for years and is often called upon by DOC to help out. After releasing Molly she went to uplift a sick penguin chick.
SHARE ME