A baby seal pup had to be rescued after it was spotted by a kind-hearted local on the beach at Wardie Bay in East Lothian.
The poor malnourished pup was spotted on the evening of January 11 by local Alasdair who contacted the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and the local British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).
There was concern for the young seal as the stretch of beach is popular with dog walkers and it is a common occurrence for pooches to be roaming the area off the lead.
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Thankfully Laura from the BDMLR was on hand and was shortly joined by Darren from the SSPCA to care for the lone seal.
The admin for a local Facebook page, Wardie Bay Beachwatch, said: “There are so many folk at Wardie usually and a lot of dog walkers. These and seals don't go so well together.”
The SSPCA say that they were able to secure the marine animal in a crate and would be taking it to a centre so that it can have a health check up.
Thankfully the pup did not have any obvious injuries or signs of lungworm but it did appear to be underweight and so it will be beefed up before being returned to its natural habitat out at sea.
They advised that anyone who comes across a seal should remain a safe distance away and ensure their dog is on a lead whilst contacting the organisation.
It is understood that beachgoers should never try to return a seal to the sea if it is on a beach as it may just be taking a breather and will not want to be disturbed.
SSPCA animal rescue officer, Darren Malcolm, said: “On the evening of January 11 we attended Wardie Bay beach in Edinburgh after we received a call to our helpline about a seal pup who appeared to be underweight and quite lethargic.
“On arrival we were met by Laura from British Divers Marine Life Rescue who had already secured the seal in a crate. The seal had no obvious injuries or signs of lungworm but we transported him to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre so we could do a full assessment.
“The team found the seal to be slightly underweight so he will be cared for at the centre until he can reach a healthy condition and be released back into his natural habitat.
“If anyone else comes across a seal we would ask that they monitor the animal from a safe distance, making sure to keep any dogs on a lead, and call our animal helpline for advice if needed.
“Never attempt to put a seal back in the water as it’s normal for them to spend time on land. They may be out of the water for good reason or simply just resting.
“If anyone finds a seal who is visibly sick, injured or in distress we’d ask them to call our animal helpline immediately on 03000 999 999.”
You can visit the SSPCA website here.
You can visit BDMLR site here.
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