This is the moment Russian conservationists return five seals to their natural habitat following a period of recovery at a rescue centre.

The five ringed seals (Pusa hispida) were released at Lake Ladoga near the Russian city of Saint Petersburg where they were treated for malnutrition and other ailments.

A spokesperson for the Vodokanal of Saint Petersburg animal welfare group said the seals were rescued after a recent heavy storm.

The seals, four males and one female, were found in a serious condition and required urgent medical care.

A spokesperson for the animal welfare group said they weighed around 20 kilogrammes except for the female that was severely underweight at 4.1 kilogrammes. She weighed 16 kilogrammes when she was returned to the wild.

The animal group added: “Taking into account that females are smaller than the others, her body proportions are now perfect.”

In the footage, the seals are seen in their animal boxes on the shoreline before rescue workers open the front and let them waddle into the water.

The Vodokanal of Saint Petersburg group has been taking part in the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals in the Baltic region since 2013.

The Centre for the Study and Conservation of Marine Mammals was opened in the group’s facilities in September 2014.

Since launching, the group has rescued, treated and returned hundreds of seals and other marine animals.