Seal rescued from Horsey beach at Easter is released back into the wild

Watch Stuart Leithes report

A seal rescued from a Norfolk beach on Easter Sunday has finally been released back into the wild.

The seal, named Mrs Vicar, was found on Horsey Beach with a plastic ring cutting into her neck.

The Friends of Horsey Seals were able to rescue her and bring her to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, where she has undergone three months of rehabilitation.

It is thought that the ring had been stuck around her neck for two years before she was finally rescued.

At the start of her treatment, staff at the centre were unsure if she would be able to make it because the seven inch wound was so severe and infected.

For the first few days she didn’t really move or show any signs of improvement, but eventually, she began eating and was able to take salt baths to help the infected wound.

Once she was strong enough she was then moved into the outside pool where the sunshine and the fresh air continued to work to heal her wounds and she was able to work to catch her own food again.

Today, she was released back to the wild at Sutton Bridge.

Ben Kirby, centre manager at East Winch, said: "The wound on Mrs Vicar’s neck will always be very visible - and is a sad reminder of how much damage plastics in our seas can cause to the natural world.

"The vets and staff at East Winch have worked incredibly hard to rehabilitate this special seal so that she could one day be returned back to the wild.

"While the scars around her neck will always remain, the salt water will continue to heal her neck. She’s now a healthy weight and we’ve done all that we can for her - it’s now up to her.

"Since day one she has just fought and fought to survive and never gave up despite how sick she was. We just all feel so proud to have been able to help her with this second chance.

"It’s a huge credit to everyone involved in her rescue and rehabilitation that she has now been returned back to the wild where she belongs.”

The RSPCA say that Mrs Vicar’s story really connected with the public, who donated bags of salt and thousands of pounds to the appeal set up to buy the fish to feed her.