Sammy the seal is on the mend

Sammy the seal was dramatically rescued from Worthing beach at the end of last month after the injured pup beached himself.

According to Billy Elliott, a rescue officer from Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service (WADARS), Sammy was x-rayed by vets, who discovered his right flipper was broken, and it was feared he might have to be put down.

But Sammy appears to be on the mend '” splashing around in his outdoor pool at an RSPCA rescue centre in Hastings. And his appetite is back with a vengeance too, eating 35 herrings a day which is half more than a normal seal his age.

Billy, who helped rescue Sammy, said: "It is good news. Sammy has been moved into an outdoor pool at the centre and he is swimming around and moving his injured flipper. It is healing itself.

"He is eating half more than normal. He was underweight when we found him, so he is making up for lost time. It is a good sign he is feeling better. We are much more confident he is going to make it."

Sammy will be in the enclosure, which has an 8ft by 8ft pool, for the next two to four weeks. His movement is being restricted to allow the fracture to mend. He will then be put in a larger enclosure, before being released back into the wild.

Billy said he has had to put a sign up about Sammy in the window of the WADARS charity shop in West Buildings because so many people have been going in there asking how he is.