Rescued young puffin 'fitting in well' at new home

A young puffin found injured on a beach following a storm has been "fitting in well with his new friends" after being rehomed at a rescue centre.

Cliff the puffling needed urgent care after being washed up on Douglas beach in October 2022 and was nursed back to health by a team at Curraghs Wildlife Park.

Despite his recovery, the bird could not be released back into the wild as he could not fly, so has joined a colony of 10 other puffins at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Tamara Cooper from the centre said: "Cliff's condition meant he needed a safe haven where he can live comfortably and safely, which is where we stepped in."

A statement from the sanctuary in Gweek, near Falmouth, explained that Cliff had taken a long time to fully recover at the Manx park and had had to "stay in human care".

"With no other fellow puffins in rehabilitation, he became imprinted on his human care team and seemed unable or not willing to fly so the staff at Curraghs then set about finding him a permanent home," it added.

The Atlantic puffin, which is a species that recently returned to the Calf of Man, is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The team at the sanctuary said Cliff had "taken everything in his stride and is a very cool customer" and they were now "going through the careful process of introducing him to his new friends".

Due to the presence of avian influenza in the UK, additional precautions, including testing and hygiene measures, had been taken to ensure "the safety of both Cliff and our 10 existing puffins", the team said.

Curraghs Wildlife Park general manager Kathleen Graham said Cliff's "journey had been remarkable" and the Manx keepers were "delighted to hear he has integrated well into his new flock".

"This is the ideal home for him, and I believe they even have a single lady puffin who hasn't picked a partner yet, so who knows, Cliff may find a little love as well," she added.

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