Birdwatcher Notices A Herd Of Cows Acting Strangely, Then Sees The Baby Seal

A baby seal who got stuck in the mud in a nature reserve in England was saved by an unlikely group of rescuers – a herd of cows! Three months later, the orphaned seal is ready to go back to the sea.

The 5-day-old seal was spotted by a local birdwatcher, Ian Ellis, after he noticed a herd of about 30 cows surrounding something in the mud on the RSPB Reserve at Frampton Marshes.

“When he looked through his telescope he saw that they were surrounding a tiny seal pup who had hauled out of a creek,” said a Facebook post from Natureland Seal Sanctuary, a seal rescue center in Skegness.  “When he went closer to investigate Mr Ellis realised that the mother was no where to be seen, so he contacted the wardens of the RSPB Reserve and Skegness Natureland.”


Mr. Ellis and staff from Natureland rescued the seal and brought the baby back to their facility. Being orphaned and only a few days old, she had lost quite a lot of weight and was dehydrated. They began treating her and feeding her high fat herring to help her gain back weight. They named her “Celebration” in honor of Natureland’s 50th anniversary this year.

celebration-seal-3

Photo credit: Facebook / Natureland Seal Sanctuary

Celebration was rehabilitated with another seal pup, Charlie, in a rearing pool at Natureland. She continued to gain weight nicely, in preparation for her release back into the wild. Here’s a video sharing a tender moment with another rescue seal Charlie.

And 3 months later, Celebration and her friend Charlie, were ready to go home!

celebration-seal-1

Photo credit: Facebook / Natureland Seal Sanctuary

Her rescuers (including Mr. Ellis) were at the beach with her to cheer her on when her cage was opened and she waddled her way back to the sea!

What an unusual rescue! I’m so happy that Celebration was not only spotted by the cows, but also by Mr. Ellis! Share this baby seal’s rescue story with your friends and family!

Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links.