Alone on a busy concrete pier in Ireland, a seal pup named Parrot’s Feather recently found himself staring anxiously ahead, wondering what to do. From his vantage point, Parrot’s Feather could see his ocean home just across the rocky beach. But the seal couldn’t return to the waves. His injuries and depleted energy made it hard for him to do much at all.
A passerby eventually spotted Parrot’s Feather struggling and called Seal Rescue Ireland for advice. A rescue team member guided the caller through some key questions, trying to determine whether Parrot’s Feather was just resting or if he needed assistance. Eventually, they dispatched a trained volunteer named Stewart to the scene.
“[I]t became clear that Parrot’s Feather was underweight and had multiple injuries and needed help,” a representative from Seal Rescue Ireland told The Dodo. “That’s when Stewart sprang into action to rescue the little pup.”
While Stewart got Parrot’s Feather to safety, Seal Rescue Ireland staff members made arrangements to transport the seal across the country to the rescue center. Parrot’s Feather slept soundly through the whole journey, perhaps feeling relaxed in the capable hands of his heroes.
At the center, animal experts found small wounds on Parrot’s Feather’s back flipper, grazes on his front flipper tips, and some scrapes on his chin and nose. But the resilient seal wasn’t going to let his injuries stop him.
“[T]his little fighter healed quickly!” the representative said. “He started eating fish on his own, gained plenty of weight and made a speedy recovery.”
After only two months in care, Parrot’s Feather looked amazing. Staff members prepared to release him back into the wild.
Rescuers watched from the beach as Parrot’s Feather gracefully swam into the deep blue waves, barely looking back as he returned to his beloved ocean home.
