They were released on Monday in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, under the eyes of their trainers and a handful of curious people. At the foot of the footbridge leading to La Merveille, in the greyish mud and a cold that does not bother them, two young seals have been released. The images were shot by the Océanopolis teams, who posted them on their social networks. Since the end of August, the two mammals had been cared for by the Association for the Conservation of Marine Mammals and Birds (ACMOM) in Brittany. According to scientists, they had been separated from their mother before weaning and would have died without human intervention.
This male and this female have returned to their natural environment “in great shape” according to their keepers. They were able to join the colony of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, which has about 120 seals other sea calves.
The two young seals had arrived on August 21 in Brest for treatment. That day, walkers had alerted the Al-Lark association of the discovery of the two “emaciated and weakened” animals in Saint-Malo and Cancale (Ille-et-Vilaine). One weighed only six kilos and the other 11 kg. After four months of daily care, the two mammals weighed more than 30 kg and were released at sea.
In the event of discovery of a marine mammal stranded on the coast, remember to warn Pélagis on 05 46 44 99 10, which manages the National Stranding Network (RNE). It is imperative not to touch the animal and not to attempt to put it back in the water.