Fleetwood Coastguard issue update on week-old grey seal pup found dehydrated and abandoned at Rossall Point
“We think it probably lost its mum in the recent storms.”
A tiny seal pup stranded on Fleetwood beach on Saturday was rescued and taken into medical care for rehabilitation after its mother failed to return.
The pup - still covered in its distinctive white fur - was found dehydrated, underweight and alone at Rossall Point by a member of the public, who alerted the coastguard.
Fleetwood Coastguard member Peter Scott, who is also a medic with British Divers Marine Life Rescue, was already on patrol when the call came through and he was the first on the scene.
He monitored the pup, believed to be just a week old, for around three hours as they waited for the incoming tide in the hope its mother would return.
Peter’s wife, Aimee Scott, a wildlife expert with Fleetwood RNLI said: “We waited for the incoming tide to see if its mum would come back. We watched it for around three hours, it was about a week old and sill had its white fur.
“We think it probably lost its mum in the recent storms.
“It weighed 14kg which is under the normal birth weight and it had a sticky eye, we knew it needed treatment.”
Sadly, with no sign of its mum, the decision was made to rescue the vulnerable pup.
Peter, who completed his sea mammal medic course just six months ago, was given the opportunity to take the lead on what was his first seal capture.
Aimee said: “We let him take the lead on it. He carried it up the beach to the car where it was put in a cage and transported to Stapley Grange RSPCA in Stratford-upon-Avon.
“It did call out for its mum all the way there.
“We did it in a relay and met a lady called Jodie at a service station and she continued to the rescue centre.”
Peter and Aimee’s 10-year-old daughter, Esme, named the seal pup ‘Milky Bar’ because of its white appearance.
It will now undergo a period of rehabilitation with the rescue team receiving an encouraging update that the youngster had started eating fish.
“We did receive an update that the pup was eating fish and was doing ok. They will be throwing the food to it to encourage hunting and, once it has put the weight back on, it will be released in the area where it was found.”
Aimee urged members of the public to keep their distance from seals, even when they appear young and vulnerable.
“They have sharp teeth and strong claws, they can give a nasty nip. We know how to handle them, their eyes need to be covered and we are specially trained.
“It will be in the care of the RSPCA for a couple of months.”
More seals and their pups are expected to make their way to the Fylde Coast shoreline after their colonies were disturbed on Peel Island, across the Bay near Barrow-in-Furness.
HM Coastguard issued this advice if you find a live stranded Marine Mammal:
• Call British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). This is the primary organization for live marine mammal rescues in the UK. Their national hotline is 01825 765546.
• Do not approach the animal too closely. Keep your distance to avoid causing further stress to the animal and to protect yourself from potential injury or disease.
• Keep people and dogs away. This is crucial to prevent further distress to the animal.
• Do not try to push the animal back into the sea. Marine mammals often strand for a reason (e.g., they are sick, injured, or disoriented), and a professional medic needs to assess the animal's health and determine the best course of action.
The BDMLR are always looking for people to train as animal medics, if you are interested, visit their website at BDMLR