Distressed seal pup washes up on Saunton Sands
A DISTRESSED seal pup washed up on Saunton Sands beach earlier this week.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) team were alerted at around 1pm on Monday by a woman who found the pup while walking on the beach.
The pup is thought to be around three to four weeks old and was seriously dehydrated and under-nourished when it was found.
It is the first seal to have washed up on the coasts of North Devon this year despite the bad weather.
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Andy Cleverdon, of the BDMLR, said the pup is likely to have come from Morthoe, one of two colonies in the area.
Andy and his wife, along with Diana Lewis from North Devon Animal Ambulance, went to assess the pup which had become separated from its mother.
“This time of year if they get a bit poorly or become separated from their mum they end up on the beach,” said Andy.
“This one was without its mum and without food or drink.”
The pup was transported to an RSPCA centre in Taunton in a dog kennel in the back of Andy’s car.
At the time Andy said: “He is covered over with a blanket and is quite quiet.”
He added that he was quite hopeful the pup would make a recovery but it will remain at the centre for anything up to 12 months until it is able to be released back into the wild.
“It depends if he feeds and drinks enough to recover,” said Andy. “He is reasonably feisty. He has got an above average chance.”
Andy was keen to stress that if people find mammals washed up on shore they should leave them well alone and call the BDMLR who will come and assess them. They can be reached on 01825 765546.
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