RSPCA wildlife: 'Ghost Bug' the seal returns to sea after suffering horrific neck wounds from flying ring toy
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A seal whose life was saved after a flying ring became stuck over her head has been released back into the wild by her rescuers - but she’s not the first seal to suffer traumatic injuries from the popular toy.
The adult female grey seal - named Ghost Bug - was rescued by Friends of Horsey Seals at the start of April, and taken to the RSPCA’s East Winch Wildlife Centre for urgent medical care. She had a white flying ring deeply embedded in her neck, leaving the centre’s vets battling to remove the plastic toy - which had caused a severe wound that had become infected.
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Hide AdLike most seals who suffer entanglements, Ghost Bug was exhausted and underweight when she was found, the animal welfare charity said. She need weeks of rehabilitation, including regular salt baths to help heal the wound as well as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication.


Thankfully she made a full recovery, and has now been was taken back home to Horsey Beach and released back to the sea. But not all seals who encounter the dangerous plastic toys - which are similar to frisbees and are popular with dog owners - are so lucky.
East Winch Wildlife Centre manager Evangelos Achilleos said Ghost Bug was not the first seal they had seen wounded by the toys. “I still find it hard to believe that so many seals have these flying rings around their neck,” he said.
“This small toy - when caught around a seal - can cause so much damage, and we only see the ones who are thankfully rescued. It’s just awful to think that there will be others out there who have suffered a sad fate because of man-made items polluting our seas,” he continued.
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Although Ghost Bug’s injury had healed well, she would be left with a permanent scar, Mr Achilleos said. “We are once again so grateful to the rescuers who brought her in to us - catching a large adult, even when they are very sick, is a difficult task; so we are so thankful they managed to get Ghost Bug in time.
“It’s always a very moving moment when you watch them return back to the wild - it’s just wonderful knowing that thanks to everyone’s efforts this seal has been given a second chance,” he added. “We would not be able to do the work we do without the support of the rescuers out on the beaches and the amazing public who always generously donate to us to help the seals’ recovery.”
The RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations have been campaigning for people not to use these types of flying rings on beaches, and say they are grateful to the councils who have agreed to ban them and promote the charity’s Safer Seals Campaign along the Norfolk Coast. Friends of Horsey Seals volunteer Jenny Hobson has also launched a petition to ban the sale of flying rings, due to their impact on seals.
Last year, the RSPCA teamed up with Pets at Home to develop a new seal-friendly ring for dogs, which features an internal frame to help seals avoid injury. Solid frisbee discs are also a safe alternative.
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Hide AdNorfolk’s Horsey Beach is an internationally significant breeding site for seals in the UK, which itself is home to about 50% of the world population of grey seals. It currently costs the East Winch Wildlife Centre about £6,000 a month to feed the seals in its care, and they face a £4,000 water bill. You can support their rehabilitation work by donating to their Just Giving page here., or buying something from their Amazon wishlist here.
Amber Allott is NationalWorld’s environment and sustainability specialist, covering all things green - from climate to conservation. If you liked this article you can follow Amber on X (Twitter) here and sign up for the free daily NationalWorld Today newsletter here - with Amber bringing you the UK's most important, pressing, weird and wonderful environmental stories every Tuesday.
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