Flying selkies touchdown for Hillswick stay
Oliver Lindsay
Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary is taking care of seal pups from a rescue centre on the Scottish mainland.
The sancturary has been asked by the Scottish SPCA’s Fishcross National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Clackmannanshire to take on the care of their 2022 intake of common and harbour seals due to a temporary issue with the water treatment system.
Four were flown to Sumburgh Airport on Tuesday and transported to Hillswick by the SSPCA. More are expected at a later date.
They were flown in two planes, including one by private pilot Graham Mumford who has experience of flying seals and other marine life, including transporting an Arctic seal last year.
All the work is voluntary for the Marine Mammal Network.
The three male and one female seals will be the first common seal pups to arrive at Hillswick this season.
Sanctuary founder Jan Bevington said: “We are only too happy to help Fishcross by taking over the care of these seal pups.
“We are great believers in working collaboratively for the welfare of our wildlife and are looking forward to meeting our first pups of the summer.”
John F Robins
I doubt if the Scottish SPCA are so short of cash that they are unable to repair or replace such essential water treatment equipment immediately. They can always fundraise afterwards to offset the cost. Not that long ago the group I work for, Animal Concern, supported local campaigners who tried to stop the SSPCA closing their animal welfare centre on Shetland. Ironic that they are now flying casualty seals from the mainland to a much smaller but excellent independent wildlife rescue centre on Shetland. It is sad to see the SSPCA in this position.