PREVIEW

BY MARK WORGAN

A seal pup who lost a chunk of his neck after becoming caught in rope fishing netting has been released back into the wild after recovering from serious injuries at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Hot Cross Bun was rescued on 10 April 2026 from Nanjizal, Cornwall, after members of the public reported him entangled.

Volunteer marine mammal medics from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) responded to the incident, safely removing the netting before transporting the pup to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek for urgent treatment.

Staff at the sanctuary's hospital found the netting had caused deep wounds across the back of the seal's neck.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Hot Cross Bun made a strong recovery. Animal care staff cleaned and treated the wounds daily and, within a week, they were showing signs of healing.
After three weeks, he was moved from the hospital unit to rehabilitation pools, where time in saltwater helped his recovery.

Hot Cross Bun was released on 10 June alongside another rehabilitated seal, Churro. At the time of his release he weighed 36kg and was described as healthy and strong, with only some scarring remaining from his ordeal.

His release marks the end of the sanctuary's 2025–26 rehabilitation season.

Grace Jones, Conservation Coordinator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, said: "Watching Hot Cross Bun return to the wild is a reminder of both the resilience of marine wildlife and the challenges it faces. While his story has a happy ending, many animals are not so lucky. Reducing bycatch is one of the most important steps we can take to better protect our marine and coastal species."

The sanctuary said it had experienced a demanding season, with staff and volunteers providing 8,460 hours of care to 47 rescued seal pups.

More than 72% of the animals arrived with injuries, while others were suffering from malnutrition or respiratory illnesses.
During the season, the team used 8,000kg of fish, 658 towels and recorded 10,150 wellington boot changes.

Sanctuary staff say pups are only released once they reach a healthy weight and staff are confident they can survive independently in the wild.

Their rescue and rehabilitation work relies on support from donors, visitors and adopters, as well as the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, whose volunteers carry out many of the initial seal rescues along the coast.