A puffin rescued from an Isle of Man beach has found a new home in Cornwall just in time for Christmas.

Named Cliff, the male puffling (young puffin), was discovered on Douglas beach in a weak state and in urgent need of attention on October 29 after being washed up following a storm. He could not fly and was not fully waterproof.

The stricken bird was taken to Curraghs Wildlife Park and thanks to the dedicated efforts of his rescuers and the vets team at the park, Cliff was nursed back to health.

Kathleen Graham, general manager at Curraghs Wildlife Park, said: ‘Cliff was initially looked after by our two vets, Anna Modlinska and Jakub Witkowski, who went above and beyond to care for him.

‘Once he got through the first few days and started to perk up, they even moved him into their own flat, where they could use their bath as a pool for him!

‘However, it was obvious this could not be a long-term solution and was hoped that he could be returned quickly back to the wild. Sadly, he appeared still unable to fly, so if he was released, he would not have survived.’

Cliff took a long time to fully recover by which point it was too late in the season to release him and he had to stay in human care. With no other puffins in rehabilitation, he seemed unable or not willing to fly and it is unlikely he will ever be ready to go back to the wild.

As a result, the team at Curraghs Wildlife Park began looking at options for Cliff to join another puffin collection and contacted the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek to see if they could provide long-term care alongside their existing group of 10 rescued puffins.

Kathleen said: ‘We were delighted to hear that Cliff has since integrated well into his new flock - as all the puffins are rescue ones, 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.’

Tamara Cooper, curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, has revealed Cliff is settling in well.

She said: ‘While puffins are known for their colourful beaks and remarkable diving abilities, Cliff´s condition meant he needed a sanctuary where he could live comfortably and safely without the pressures of survival in the wild.

‘Here Cliff will have the opportunity to thrive in a specially designed environment tailored to his needs. So far, Cliff has taken everything in his stride and is a very cool customer.’