Giving the seal its smile back (From Warrington Guardian)

Giving the seal its smile back

A STRAY seal spotted in the Rivery Mersey earlier this month had a lucky escape - 90 years ago it would have been shot.

The GUARDIAN Midweek reported last week that a seal had been seen bobbing up and down in the river by the railway bridge near the Village Hotel. But it was not the first time such an usual visitor had ventured into the water.

In 1907, a disorientated grey seal swam up the Mersey and was shot at Paddington Lock. The unfortunate soul was stuffed and mounted at the Museum and attracted more than 14,000 extra visitors when it was put on display.

It is still on display in the Museum's Bird Gallery but staff are planning to give the mammal a make-over to restore it to its former glory.

Sally Coleman, from the museum, said: "It is one of our most popular exhibits. Children love it. It is the source of a famous Warrington myth because children are often told that their grandfather was the one that shot the seal.

"We want to make more of the display especially because one of its ancestors appeared almost 100 years later. It illustrates the changing times we live in because the 1907 seal was shot as a trophy but people were a lot more concerned about the latest sighting."

A grant has been submitted to have the seal's fur professionally cleaned and to make a new mouth to replace the lump of clay the original taxidermist put in place.

Sally said: "We want to give the seal its smile back."

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