Poppadom was rescued on 5th November 2020 Poppadom, 6 weeks old female seal pup, was rescued from Porthgwarra beach on 5th November 2020 by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) marine mammal medic volunteers.   She was very lethargic, weighing only 13.5kgs and had a high temperature. During the pup´s clinical assessment, the vet noticed that she had an infection in her rear flipper, which they were worried it may have tracked down to her bone. Update - 5th December 2020 : Poppadom has now finished her course of treatment and the wound has healed up nicely, She just needs to put on a little more weight in the outside the nursery pools for her next stage of rehabilitation. Her flipper tag ID number is SL116 (green). Photos below were taken on 4th December 2020. Update - 11th January 2021 : Poppadom is now in the rehabilitation pool ready to be released back into the wild in the next couple of weeks. She currently weighs 32kgs. Update : 3rd March 2021 - Poppadom, along with Chips, Basil, Sushi and Pilchard have completed their rehabilitation and the time came for them to be released back into the wild from Dollar Cove on 1st March 2021. Click here to watch a short video of the seal release. Update - 1st January 2026 : Poppadom was seen at haul-outs along the coast of West Cornwall on 21st December 2022, 21st & 25th September 2023, 14th March 2024, 5th, 19th & 24th September 2024, 10th October 2024, 1st November 2024, 21st April 2025, 13th July 2025, 6th 16th & 27th October 2025 and 1st January 2026. Photo Credits - Sue Sayer MBE and Kate Hockley - Seal Research Trust - 14th March 2024 Photo Credits - Sue Sayer MBE and Kate Hockley - Seal Research Trust - 10th October 2024 By monitoring the behaviour of seals after release back into the wild, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Seal Research Trust and other organisations can use this information to define the best practice standards and policies that they can share with the international rescue community. Each seal´s fur pattern is unique and enables the organisations to track them for life.   Seals face many challenges, yet we all depend on them to balance our marine ecosystem, which is essential to make the oxygen we breathe.   Seals are our globally rare wildlife tourist attraction, helping diversify coastal economic prosperity.

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