A grey seal pup that was injured by Storm Ophelia has been transported to a rehabilitation centre in Scotland.

The pup, which is named Rose, was accompanied by two ManxSPCA staff on her trip to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue in Ayreshire last week.

Rose, who was found at the Point of Ayre with a damaged flipper, was originally taken in by the ManxSPCA where staff monitored the pup’s health and provided veterinary care.

Once Rose was brought to the Ard Jerkyll centre, staff immediately treated her infected flesh wound and organised for two claws to be amputated, as they were badly damaged during the storm.

A number of seal pups around the island were affected by storms Ophelia and Brian, with the Manx Wildlife Trust recording more dead bodies this year in comparison to previous years.

The ManxSPCA received a large influx of calls about ’stranded’ pups made by concerned members of the public.

The centre responded to all calls and found two seal pups that were in desperate need of medical attention.

Sadly, the other pup that was brought in alongside Rose died earlier this month.

Staff members believe the pup, Sebastian, may have suffered internal injuries that they were not aware of.

Members of ManxSPCA began with bottle-feeding Rose before she was weaned onto solid fish.

However, she has struggled to feed herself without support.

Concerns were raised once the charity realised Rose had a long way to go before being released into the wild and that the facilities at the Ard Jekyll centre were too limited for the seal’s conditions to improve.

A decision was made to transport Rose to another centre with a larger enclosure where she could be surrounded by other seals, which would encourage her to develop skills in swimming and hunting.

A ManxSPCA spokesperson said: ’Her prognosis is excellent, that is if she learns to swim and use her injured flipper properly.

’If she is compromised in any way, she will spend the rest of her days at the Scottish centre which has large sea water pools and specialist facilities.’

The Isle of Man Steam Packet provided a free return crossing to Heysham for the ManxSPCA.

Rose made the trip safely and was given many breaks along the way.

Matt Creer, a ManxSPCA officer who transported Rose, said: ’It’s great to see charities and organisations working together so that we can achieve positive outcomes for animals.

’Rose is now in the best place possible for her long-term rehabilitation, and the opportunity to forge links and swap ideas and best practice with Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue has been invaluable.’